


Front Nine, Back Nine, Good Times

by WritingOnTheWall



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - 1980s, Country Clubs, F/M, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Humor, Mild Language, Recreational Drug Use
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-07-21
Packaged: 2021-03-03 18:55:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 39,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24600415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WritingOnTheWall/pseuds/WritingOnTheWall
Summary: Stuffy golfers, snobby socialites, unruly caddies, a philosophical club champ, a pot-smoking greenskeeper; these are just some of the things that are seen at Coruscant Country Club, which is where Anakin Skywalker and his sister, Ahsoka, are working for the summer. Both of them are simply working to make some money to support themselves, but soon, they'll find themselves risking their jobs as they get pulled into (and take part in) the rowdy antics that'll put wanted and unwanted eyes on them.Summer of '85 was going to be an interesting one
Relationships: Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker
Comments: 53
Kudos: 64





	1. The First Day

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by one of my favorite movies ever, Caddyshack. This story will have some references, but this is not a carbon-copy. Just something a little fun

The Saturday morning sun slowly began to rise over the city of Coruscant. This part of town, known as “The Lower Part”, was home to small, cramped houses, as well as equally-crowded apartments. The only businesses were small shops, the occasional fast food joint, a dozen or so bars, and a lot of boarded-up buildings.

Inside one of the apartments, a young man lied haphazardly across his bed. His room was untidy, with some tools and other items scattered across the floor and a small desk. The alarm clock on the bedside table read 7:57 AM and

_7:58_

_7:59_

_8:00_

The alarm went off and the young man slammed his hand on the “Snooze” button. He drifted off to sleep again, but five minutes later, there were three loud knocks on the door.

 _“Anakin!”_ a muffled girl’s voice yelled.

The young man, Anakin, groaned. “What!” he yelled from under his covers.

 _“Come on, get up! We’ve gotta work!”_ the girl yelled _. “I’m taking the shower first!”_

Anakin immediately bolted up. “Like Hell you are!” he shouted. He quickly climbed out of bed and ran to the door and opened it, finding the door to the bathroom immediately closing.

Anakin sighed. “Dammit,” he groaned. He shook his head and headed back to his room, putting some deodorant on and changing into a set of clean work clothes.

He headed back into the combination kitchen/dining/living room and grabbed the Cheerio’s box from atop the fridge and the milk. He turned on the radio as he poured a bowl and sat down, listening to the music as he ate.

Five minutes later Anakin’s stepsister, Ahsoka Tano, walked out of the bathroom, wearing similar work clothes to Anakin’s. She smirked and said, “There might be twenty seconds of hot water if you’d like.” She sat down and poured herself a bowl of cereal.

Anakin rolled his eyes. “Gee, how considerate of you.”

Ahsoka laughed as she brushed her hand through her dark blonde hair. “So, are you ready for today?”

Anakin shrugged. “Yeah. Not like we have much choice.”

“Anything to keep a roof over our heads,” Ahsoka said.

“Even if it is shitty,” Anakin added.

The two siblings laughed as they ate their breakfast. Anakin clanked at his watch and said, “Well, let’s head out.”

The two took their dishes to the sink, promising each other that they’d do them later. However, before they could leave, they heard shouts from the hallway outside.

“Dammit,” Ahsoka groaned, “it sounds like the Carsons are having another ‘marital spat’.”

Anakin nodded. “Fire escape?”

Ahsoka smirked. “Fire escape.”

The siblings headed to the window and crawled out. They made their way down the stairs of the fire escape, the morning sun at full blaze as people all around started waking up.

Anakin and Ahsoka made it down to the front of the apartment. Anakin fished his keys out of his pocket and climbed into the driver’s seat of his ’79 Ford F-350.

“When can I drive?” Ahsoka asked.

“When you reimburse me for all of this truck’s payments,” Anakin replied.

Ahsoka chuckled as Anakin started the truck and drove away from the building. They waved at various people they knew as they drove through the streets. Finally, they reached the train tracks and crossed, taking them to the other part of their city.

“The Upper Part” of Coruscant is exactly how it sounds. Large homes, suburbs with pristine lawns, high-end stores and restaurants, and everything else that was the exact opposite of what Lower Coruscant had.

Anakin glanced around at all the nice places he drove passed. Men in suits either suits or summer clothes and women in summer dresses climbed into their luxury cars, leaving their homes to enjoy their Saturdays. Some of them drove in the same direction as Anakin, and five minutes later, they passed a large red sign; _Coruscant Country Club_ was written in curvy, gold lettering.

Coruscant Country Club had just about everything a place like it could offer: an 18-hole golf course, tennis courts, pool, sauna and spa, a restaurant with a small bar, and a ballroom with a _larger_ bar. It accommodated the well-to-do people of Upper Coruscant.

And for Anakin and Ahsoka, it would be their newest place of employment.

Anakin drove along the road, driving in front of the grand clubhouse before circling to the back, parking with a mix of other old cars and some bicycles. Anakin turned off the car and climbed out, Ahsoka following.

“Alright Ahsoka, first day,” Anakin said. “Good luck.”

“Thanks,” Ahsoka replied. “Who do you have to meet?”

Anakin dug into his pocket and found the note he had made. “Eric Woodward.”

“What do you think he'll be like?” Ahsoka asked.

“No idea,” Anakin answered. “I’ll tell you how first impressions go.”

Ahsoka nodded as she turned and headed inside. Anakin walked out towards the small building at the edge of the golf course. He approached the door and knocked three times. A few moments later, a middle-aged man appeared and stood before him.

“Who the Hell are you?” he asked.

“I’m Anakin Skywalker,” he answered. “I’m-”

“Oh yeah,” Eric interrupted, “you’re the new hire.” He waved Anakin in and he followed. Eric sat down at a desk and Anakin sat down in the opposite chair.

“Alright, here’s how this works,” Eric said. “You’ll get who you caddy for from me, as well as any other jobs that I give you, no questions asked. Understood?”

Anakin nodded slowly. “Uh, yeah, I guess.”

“Good,” Eric said without any change in his voice. “You’ve got Mister Harold Payne.”

Anakin cocked an eyebrow as he was led out. Standing nearby was an old man who was leaning against a large golf bag. He looked through his thick glasses and asked, “Are you ready?”

Anakin let out a breath. “Yes, sir.” He walked over and picked up the bag, wheezing as the sheer weight nearly made him buckle. Then, Mister Payne walked at a snail’s pace, so Anakin had to match the old man’s slow speed.

They reached the tee box and Anakin set the clubs down. Mister Payne slowly walked over and grabbed his driver, and then a ball and tee. “Can you place the ball down for me?”

Anakin nodded as he walked over and placed the tee and ball into the ground. Mister Payne smiled as he lowered his driver next to the ball and took his stance. He slowly pulled his arms back and swung; his ball went about twenty yards.

“Off we start!” Mister Payne exclaimed. He placed the driver in Anakin’s hand and slowly walked towards his ball. Anakin sighed again as he looked around to the vastness of the golf course; today was going to be a long one.

It took nearly three hours for Mister Payne to finish nine holes, which thankfully was all he wanted to play. Anakin wheezed as he set the heavy golf bag in Mister Payne’s car.

“Thank you, mannequin,” Mister Payne said as he walked to the clubhouse.

 _“It’s Anakin,”_ he sighed under his breath. He put on a fake smile as Mister Payne entered the building.

Anakin groaned as he stretched his back and walked towards the caddy house. There were more caddies gathered around the building as he approached, waiting for Eric to give them their assigned golfers before they left.

Anakin sat down at a small bench and sighed. He checked his watch, confirming that Mister Payne did indeed take three hours to play nine holes, and the course was practically empty. He leaned back as Ahsoka walked outside and joined him.

“How were your first three hours?” Anakin asked.

Ahsoka sighed. “I had to help set up the entire clubhouse for a wedding reception. Setting the tables in the ballroom, bringing in alcohol from trucks, putting together appetizer plates.”

“Sounds easy,” Anakin said.

“It would’ve been if my supervisor wasn’t up my ass on _every minute detail,_ ” she hissed, slapping her lap with each last word. She sighed and asked, “What about you?”

“I had to carry a golf bag that felt as if it were weighed down with rocks for a ninety-year-old man who walked about as fast as I did when I sprained my ankle,” Anakin explained.

Ahsoka immediately laughed. “Sounds rough.”

Anakin rolled his eyes as he leaned forward. Eric walked out and said, “Skywalker, Hole 15 has got several tree limbs scattered all over. Get the greenskeeper and help him.” He pointed to a small building near the edge of the course.

Anakin nodded and he got up to walk towards the building. As he approached, he could hear Van Halen muffled behind the door. He approached it and knocked loudly three times.

A few moments passed and the door opened. Anakin jumped when “Hot for Teacher” blared out from the inside. He recovered and looked at who answered the door. It was a young man, maybe only a few years older than Anakin. He had long, black hair and tan skin; he had a bored gaze in his eyes.

“Yeah?” he asked, his voice lax.

“Uh, you the greenskeeper?” Anakin asked.

“Yes, I am,” he replied. “The name’s Quinlan. What can I do you for?”

Anakin nodded his head back to the caddy house and said, “Eric says there’s a bunch of dead limbs on Hole 15. He wants us to pick them up.”

Quinlan looked out to the course and said, “Oh yeah, he’s been asking me for about two weeks now.” He chuckled lightly and said, “Well, they haven’t fired me yet. Let’s get to it, man.” He then closed the door.

Anakin was rooted to the spot, staring at the door. He slowly turned around, a look of surprise and confusion on his face.

“This summer’s going to be interesting.”


	2. Lessons

Ten minutes had passed before Quinlan finally exited the building. He was wearing a pair of gold aviators, a green tank top, and dark blue jeans. Anakin noticed a set of dog tags around his neck.

“Alright man, let’s go,” he said. Anakin followed Quinlan around back, where a golf cart with an attached utility bed was parked. They climbed in and Anakin was thrown back when Quinlan sped off onto the course.

“So, I haven’t seen you around here,” Quinlan said.

“Well-” Anakin was interrupted when Quinlan made a sharp turn. He collected himself and replied, “I’m new here. My name’s Anakin.”

Quinlan took them over a small hill and he said, “Oh, you’re the new guy. I thought I heard Eric mention that.” He chuckled as he added, “I don’t pay much attention to what he says.”

Anakin looked at him in confusion as they reached Hole 15. Indeed as Eric had mentioned, there were several tree limbs scattered all over the fairway and rough.

“Alright Anakin, let’s get to work,” Quinlan said. He nodded his head back and added, “Hop in the back.”

“What?” Anakin asked, confused.

Quinlan smiled and repeated, “Hop in the back.”

Anakin slowly nodded as he got out and climbed into the bed. He stood still for a moment before looking down at Quinlan.

“Remember, lean into the turns!” Quinlan yelled.

Anakin’s eyes widened. “What?!”

Quinlan’s foot slammed down on the accelerator and the cart took off. Anakin yelled as he was thrown off balance, bracing himself as he caught himself right next to Quinlan.

“I’ll drive by while you pick up the limbs!” Quinlan yelled. “Use the grabber!”

Anakin looked behind him and saw a folded metal object. He slowly stood up, balancing himself out before he grabbed it. He unfolded it, pulling the trigger twice to close the fingers.

As Quinlan drove passed the limbs like a bat out of Hell, Anakin would lean forward a little and pick up each limb as they passed. With Quinlan’s high-speed driving, they were able to clear out all of the limbs within five minutes.

Quinlan slammed on the brakes, but Anakin was able to lean back and catch himself as Quinlan slowly drove the cart to the edge of the woods. He cheered loudly as Anakin hopped out and he joined him at the back. They collectively shoved the limbs out of the bed and into the woods.

“Nice balance back there, man,” Quinlan said as he clasped Anakin’s hand. The two shook and Anakin couldn’t help but smile.

“You know, a little warning would’ve been nice,” Anakin said.

“I thought I did,” Quinlan contended.

Anakin shook his head. “Well, this was fun. We’d better get back.”

“Why?” Quinlan asked. He smirked and said, “Don’t you remember? We’re ‘picking up the limbs’.” He chuckled again and said, “Hop in. I’ll show you my little hideout.” He climbed back into the cart. Anakin looked at him strangely but still climbed in. Quinlan hit the gas and pulled away from the forest’s edge.

“I’m about to teach you some great life lessons about working here, Anakin,” Quinlan said as he drove. “They say if you love it, you’ll never work a day in your life. When I first started, I would have rather gotten a tooth pulled than work a single shift. Now, I’ve found ways to enjoy myself while I’m here.”

“And how do you ‘enjoy yourself’?” Anakin asked.

Quinlan chuckled again. “Oh, you’ll see.” They drove a little more before stopping again. Quinlan was cackling to himself as he climbed out.

“Alright, follow me,” Quinlan said. Anakin climbed out of the cart and followed Quinlan to a small wooded area that acted as an out-of-bounds for Hole 13. They walked to one of the larger trees, which Anakin noticed had some wood planks nailed to it.

“Alright, climb up,” Quinlan said. He climbed the tree, Anakin following close behind. The two climbed almost to the top, where Anakin found Quinan crouching in a makeshift hunting blind. Anakin looked around, finding a six-pack of beer, a small toolbox, and a hand-held radio.

“Welcome to Paradise,” Quinlan said. He handed one of the beers to Anakin before he grabbed one for himself. He popped the cap and began drinking.

Anakin chuckled in disbelief. “So this is how you spend your workdays?”

Quinlan pulled back and smiled. “Hell yeah. I’ve been here close to three years now. The fact that I can slack off and still get my work done is the reason I continue to slack off.”

Anakin shook his head and smiled as he opened his beer and took a drink. Suddenly, Quinlan pointed ahead and said, “Look out there.” Anakin followed Quinlan’s finger until he found what he was pointing at three golfers and their caddies approaching the tee box of Hole 13.

Quinlan chuckled again as he said, “Here’s my favorite activity.” He opened the toolbox next to him, where Anakin could an Altoids tin, some nudie magazines, and other various odd items. He then saw Quinlan reach in and pull out an air horn.

“Let’s have some fun,” Quinlan said. He held the horn out and waited. One of the golfers walked to the tee box and set his ball down. He slowly set his club down next to his ball, waited a few moments, and pulled back to swing. Right before the golfer followed through on his swing, Quinlan let off the horn. The golfer missed the ball completely and spun in place.

Quinlan and Anakin bit down on their fists as they cackled with laughter. Through the tears in their eyes, they could see the golfer looking all over the place for wherever the noise had come from. The caddies behind them were shaking trying to contain their laughter. The golfer hit another before letting the next one go next.

“Let number two go,” Quinlan said quietly.

The second golfer walked over and set up his ball. He hesitated for a moment before he quickly swung. He hit his ball right down the middle of the fairway.

“Nice,” Quinlan said. “That’s a good one-forty, one-fifty yards.” The third golfer walked to tee off. As he took his stance, Quinlan handed the air horn to Anakin. “You have honors.”

Anakin grinned as he took the horn and held it out. The third golfer pulled back and followed through. When his club was about two feet from the ball, Anakin blew the horn. The third golfer hit his ball, but it sliced and went towards the edge of the border woods.

Anakin and Quinlan cackled with laughter again as the third golfer also looked around for where the noise came from. The caddies were now full-blown laughing as they grabbed the golfers’ bags. The third golfer walked towards the woods while the first and second walked to their balls in the fairway. The caddies looked right to where Anakin and Quinlan were positioned and gave them thumbs up, wide smiles on their faces.

Anakin and Quinlan collected themselves as they clinked their bottles together and finished their beers. They waited for the golfers to walk passed before they slowly made their way down and back to the cart. Once the golfers were out of earshot, they let loose their laughter as Quinlan drove off.

“That was amazing,” Anakin said through laughter.

Quinlan smirked. “There’s so much I can teach you, man. Just stick by me.”

Anakin chuckled. “Sure thing, sir.”

Quinlan looked down at his watch and said, “Here, I gotta make a stop real quick.” He drove across the course until he made it to the west edge. On this side, it was a line of large expensive houses that made up the edge of the course.

“What are we doing here?” Anakin asked.

Quinlan smirked as he pulled up next to one of the backyards. He picked up the grabber from the back and clanged it against the fence a couple of times. Anakin tilted his head back and saw a large pool. He then saw a beautiful young woman in a black bikini lazily push up from one of the chairs and walk towards the fence. Anakin knew he was staring, and he didn’t care.

“Hey babe,” Quinlan drawled as he climbed out of the cart. She giggled as he gently tickled her chin. “Your folks home?”

The girl giggled. “No. Why?” she asked,

Quinlan smirked. “Well, I didn’t get invited to your twentieth birthday. Did your old man lose my invitation, Aayla?”

“I asked him to invite you,” Aayla said. “I didn’t think a man could ever get that red.”

Quinlan smiled again. “Well, why don’t you let me in so _we_ can celebrate?”

Aayla giggled again as she looked passed. “Is your ‘friend’ going to join us?”

Quinlan tilted his head back and replied, “He’s just the new guy.” He turned around and said, “Hey Anakin, you think you can take the cart back?”

Anakin smiled as he shook his head lightly. “Sure thing, Quinlan. You worried about Eric?”

“Nope,” Quinlan answered as he shimmied up the fence and hopped on the other side. He wrapped his arm around Aayla’s hips and the two walked to the house.

Anakin chuckled as he pulled away and drove across the course and back to the clubhouse. He parked the cart back at its original spot and climbed out. He smiled and chuckled to himself again as he walked to the caddy house.

* * *

A week and a half had passed and Anakin had gotten a feel for how things were done at Coruscant. Eric–Anakin quickly learned–was _not_ one for conversation. He spoke to you when you got your golfer and when you collected your pay, and that was the end of it. If you tried talking to him outside those two, he was either too busy or just didn’t care.

Quinlan had quickly become Anakin’s best friend at the club. The greenskeeper would drag Anakin into almost daily escapades that took them _both_ away from their work. Initially, Anakin was afraid of getting caught, but Quinlan quickly taught him to “ask for forgiveness, not permission”.

Anakin was sitting outside the caddy house with a couple of other caddies. They were playing cards, and two of them had cigarettes in their mouths two feet from a “No Smoking” sign.

“Skywalker.”

Anakin looked up and saw Eric walking out. “Off your ass, you’ve got a golfer.”

Anakin’s eyes widened briefly. “Uh, yes sir,” he replied.

Eric nodded and turned to the other three. “Read the sign, assholes,” he said as he pointed to the “No Smoking” sign.

Anakin walked over to Eric and he said, “Who have I got?”

Eric flipped through the book and said, “Coruscant’s own club champ. You’ve got Mister Obi-Wan Kenobi.”

Anakin nodded. “Alright, I’ll perform admirably, sir.”

“Don’t be a kiss-up,” Eric deadpanned. “Just meet Mister Kenobi.”

Anakin smirked. “Sure thing.” He walked off, getting out of earshot before saying under his breath, _“Dick.”_ He looked up to see a man step out from one of the clubhouse exits.

He was about ten or so years older than Anakin. He had long, free-flowing brown hair and a beard. He was wearing a tan golf polo and white pants. He looked over to Anakin, a twinkle in his eyes and a kind smile.

“Hello there,” he greeted.

“Mister Kenobi?” Anakin asked.

Waving his hand, the man said, “Please, no need to be so formal. Just ‘Obi-Wan’, or ‘Ben’. My wife and close friends call me Ben.”

Anakin nodded. “Very well, Obi-Wan.”

Obi-Wan smiled. “And what do I call you, my friend?”

“Anakin,” he replied.

“A pleasure to meet you, Anakin,” Obi-Wan said as he stuck his hand out. Anakin shook it and Obi-Wan put his golf bag down and asked, “Well, you ready to go?”

“After you, Obi-Wan,” Anakin said. He hefted the bag onto his shoulders and they proceeded to the first hole. Anakin set the bag down and handed Obi-Wan his driver. He smiled as he took it and walked on the tee box. He pulled a ball and tee from his pocket and placed it down. He straightened himself out, bent his knees, and lined the clubhead with the ball. He pulled back and swung.

Anakin looked on as the ball sailed from the tee and flew through the air. It seemed to hang in the air for a few moments before it came back down, hitting the center of the fairway and rolling further. It stopped about fifteen yards short of the front of the green.

“Oh my God,” Anakin said.

Obi-Wan chuckled. “Not bad,” he said to himself. He smiled and turned to Anakin. “Let’s go.”

…

Caddying for Obi-Wan was an enjoyable experience. Between shots, they talked about a little bit of everything, Obi-Wan even talking while he took shots; he was still able to perfectly hit each one.

Obi-Wan sunk (another) Birdie on Hole 14’s green and smiled. Anakin chuckled as he grabbed the ball and placed the pin back in the cup.

“I cannot see how you people do it,” Anakin said.

“What do you mean?” Obi-Wan asked as they approached Hole 15’s tee box.

“Golf,” Anakin answered. “I can’t see how anyone can possibly hit a ball so accurately or hit a ball so it only moves a few inches when it lands, or sink a ball into a four-inch hole from twenty feet.”

Obi-Wan smiled. “You ever golf before?”

Anakin shook his head. “I have not, sir.”

“Father never forced you to come out and play nine on a Saturday afternoon?” Obi-Wan asked.

Anakin stilled a little. “I never knew my father,” he said. “Mom never really talked about him, so I drew my two conclusions: he either left or died before I was born.”

Obi-Wan’s smile fell. “Sorry.”

Anakin waved his hand. “Don’t be. I never knew him, so I never give him any thought.”

Obi-Wan turned and looked to his bag. “Well, how about I give you some pointers?”

Anakin looked up. “Really?”

Obi-Wan smirked. “Of course.” He set up his ball and tee and grabbed his driver. “Here,” he said as he gave the club to Anakin.

Anakin took the club and wrapped his hands around it. Obi-Wan approached and said, “Stretch out the fingers of your left hand; align the club handle with your left palm so it makes a straight line diagonally across your fingers.”

Anakin did as Obi-Wan asked. He nodded and continued. “Close your hand around the club. As you grip the club with your left hand, the heel of your palm should rest along the top edge of the handle.”

Anakin gripped the club and set the head down. “Make sure the clubface is square with the ball, and make sure your left arm is completely straight,” Obi-Wan directed.

Anakin straightened his arm and adjusted the clubface. “Now, arch your back down and give a little bend to your knees. Slowly pull your arms back, and follow through.”

Anakin nodded as he turned his head to look downrange at the hole. He looked back down to the ball and pulled his arms back. He swung and hit the ball; it made a soft _TINK_ sound and skipped along the ground for only five yards.

Anakin sighed and looked to Obi-Wan. He was still smiling.

“Your motion was too rigid,” Obi-Wan pointed out. “You also lifted your head. Hard to hit the ball if you look away from it.” He walked over and grabbed another ball from his bag and placed it down on the tee.

“Pivot your hips while you swing,” Obi-Wan said. “Your chest should be in the direction of the hole. Keep your eye on the ball, and slowly pull back and follow through. A wise man once told me ‘Feel, don’t think. Use your instincts’.”

Anakin nodded as he re-gripped the driver and repositioned himself. Keeping his eye on the tiny _Wilson_ logo, he slowly pulled his arms back and swung.

This time, the club made a loud _SMACK_ as it made full contact with the ball. The ball sailed into the air, flying high before coming back down, bouncing across the fairway.

Obi-Wan’s jaw dropped. “Good Lord, Anakin,” he said in shock. “That’s about two-hundred yards _minimum_.”

Anakin smiled. “That felt great,” he said.

Obi-Wan laughed. “It’s a great feeling. Remember that golf is almost all mental; the only physical aspect is the swing and walking.” He patted Anakin’s back and said, “Now come, let’s work on your short game!”

...

The last four holes were Anakin golfing instead of Obi-Wan, the older man acting as his spontaneous mentor. They finished the round with nearly twenty minutes of putting exercises on the eighteenth green.

“Well Anakin, this certainly was a swell time,” Obi-Wan said.

Anakin nodded. “It was for me too.” They walked to the clubhouse entrance and Anakin set the bag down. Obi-Wan held his hand out and Anakin shook it.

“I’ll be sure to ask for you to caddy for me in the future,” Obi-Wan said. “What times do you have off? We can have a proper lesson.”

“I work practically every day,” Anakin replied.

“Don’t you worry,” Obi-Wan said. “I’ll figure out something.” We walked towards the entrance and opened the door. Before he walked in he said, “Oh, and here.”

Anakin saw Obi-Wan reach into his pocket and toss something to him. Anakin caught it, noticing it was the ball he had used.

“Goodbye, Anakin,” Obi-Wan said.

Anakin smiled. “Goodbye, Obi-Wan.”

Obi-Wan walked into the clubhouse. Anakin looked down at the _Wilson_ ball and smiled. He pocketed the ball and headed back to the caddy house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, this story's Obi-Wan is AOTC Obi-Wan


	3. Learning the Game

Ahsoka was drying dishes inside the kitchen. The club had a large party last night and they used almost all of the glassware for the event. This was why Ahsoka had nearly one-hundred glasses set out, all freshly washed and waiting to be dried before they’re dirtied again later.

The door swung open and Ahsoka looked up, smiling at seeing Anakin walk in.

“Hey, sis,” he greeted as he walked passed.

“Hey, bro,” Ahsoka replied. Anakin headed towards the walk-in fridge and popped it open. He walked in and a few moments later walked back out with one of the wrapped sandwiches that are taken to the pool concession stand.

“Hey, who said you could steal from the fridge?” Ahsoka asked as she set down _another_ glass.

Anakin took a bite and pointed at her. “Hey, Edna at the concession stand was up my ass that I was short. I was off by only a quarter, she wouldn’t let me have a ‘gimme’.”

Ahsoka rolled her eyes. “Oh, let me play you a sorrowful tune on a violin,” she said sarcastically.

Anakin nodded. “Hey now, I am outside toiling in the sun while you’re inside, in the AC, drying glasses.”

“I will throw this at your head as hard as I can,” Ahsoka said as she shook the glass in her hand.

Anakin chuckled as his sisters lowered the glass and continued drying. She sighed and said, “I’ve gotta work as a server for some party later this week.”

“Oh yeah?” Anakin asked. “You know what it’s for?”

Ahsoka shrugged. “No clue. Probably just another rich person get-together.”

Anakin chuckled as he finished his sandwich. “Well, I’m out. I’ll see you later.”

“Yeah, I’ll be right here,” Ahsoka said as her brother left.

Anakin exited through the back and made his way towards the caddy house. Suddenly, Obi-Wan walked out of one of the exits. He saw him and smiled.

“Anakin, good to see you,” he said. “I was looking for you.”

“Oh,” Anakin said. “Sorry, I was-”

Obi-Wan waved his hand. “No need to apologize.” He placed his hand on Anakin’s shoulder and said, “Follow me. I’ve got something to show you.”

The two walked over to Obi-Wan’s car and he opened the back. He reached in and pulled out a black Wilson golf bag. It had fourteen clubs; a driver, a putter, and everything in between.

Anakin whistled. “Impressive, sir,” he said. He looked to Obi-Wan and asked, “New set for when you’re in tournaments?”

Obi-Wan smiled as he shook his head. “No,” he said, “yours.”

Anakin froze and looked at Obi-Wan. “What?” he asked incredulously before immediately shaking his head. “No, no, no. Mister Kenobi, I can’t-”

“Obi-Wan,” he interrupted.

Anakin sighed. “Obi-Wan, you didn’t have to do this. I can’t accept this.”

Obi-Wan chuckled. “Anakin,” he said as he placed a hand on his shoulder, “quit being so goddamned polite.”

Anakin chuckled again as he reached in and grabbed the five iron. He turned it in his hands and took his stance. He swung once and smiled.

“These feel amazing,” Anakin said.

Obi-Wan nodded. “Based on your swing that I had observed, I was able to get a good feeling for what you needed.”

Anakin smiled as he put the iron up. “Sir, you didn’t have to do this. So, why did you?”

Obi-Wan grinned. “Well, it’s kind of how I got my start. Years ago, I was a caddy like you. Then, one day, I had the pleasure of caddying for another one of the club’s founders, Qui-Gon-Jinn.”

Anakin nodded. He remembered the picture behind the front desk of the clubhouse. Much like Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon had longer hair and a beard.

“Qui-Gon saw something in me and took me under his wing, teaching me everything he knew about golf,” Obi-Wan explained. “There came the time that I had learned so much from him, that I eventually was able to beat him.”

Obi-Wan took a quick breath and continued. “When Qui-Gon had died, I swore that I would do the same as he had done: finding a good candidate and teaching them all I know.” He placed his arm around Anakin and said, “And I chose you.”

Anakin smiled. “Well, I…” He trailed off and let out a small laugh. “Thank you, Obi-Wan. I don’t know what to say.”

Obi-Wan patted Anakin on the back. “You’re welcome. Now come, it’s time to learn.” Anakin smiled as he shouldered his new bag and followed Obi-Wan to the first hole.

Anakin spent the front nine doing various exercises. Punch shots near or under trees, choking up and down on the grip, hitting fades, draws, and slices, reading the greens for putts, as well as finding the right distance and using the right club.

Then, the back nine was set for Anakin to play a proper round. He had hit a few hiccups along the way, but by the time he sunk his final putt on Hole 18, he had shot a forty-two, only six over Par.

“Anakin, you had one Helluva round,” Obi-Wan commended.

Anakin smiled. “Thanks, Obi-Wan.”

“No, really,” Obi-Wan said. “I saw something in you, but I swear, you’re almost a natural.”

“I don’t know what to tell you,” Anakin said. “As you said, it’s almost natural.”

Obi-Wan nodded. “Tell you what, I can talk with Eric and get you this Saturday off. What do you say to playing eighteen with me and some friends?”

Anakin grinned. “Sure. Sounds fun.”

“Excellent,” Obi-Wan said with a smile. “See you then.”

Obi-Wan walked away and back into the clubhouse. Anakin smiled as he grabbed the bag and walked over to Quinlan’s shed. He knocked twice and waited; he chuckled when he heard “Back In Black” blaring from the inside.

The door opened and Quinlan smiled. “Hey man, how’s it going?”

“Hey, Quinlan,” Anakin said. “You think I could leave these here?”

Quinlan looked and his eyes widened when he saw the golf bag. “Damn, man. Where’d you get these?”

“Obi-Wan Kenobi gave them to me,” Anakin replied. “I’m his ‘young mentee’.”

“Nice,” Quinlan said. “Obi-Wan’s cool, man.” He smiled and nodded added, “Moving up, my guy. This calls for celebration.”

Quinlan backed into the shed and returned with two shot glasses and a bottle of whiskey. Anakin noticed the label and his eyes widened.

“Holy shit,” Anakin said as Quinlan poured out a shot. “Where’d you score this?”

Quinlan chuckled as he poured a shot for himself. “I swiped it from the ballroom bar.”

Anakin laughed as he and Quinlan clinked their glasses together and downed their shots. Anakin let the expensive whiskey burn his throat and he smiled.

“Well, I’ve got alcohol in my system, time to get back to work,” Anakin said.

“It’s the best way to work, man,” Quinlan said. He cackled and grabbed Anakin’s bag before shutting the door. Anakin smiled as he headed back to the caddy house.

* * *

Saturday came and Anakin was walking away from the maintenance building, his bag over his shoulders. He had made a stop at a thrift store and purchased a golf shirt, pants, and shoes. They were all fairly weathered, but they’d do.

Anakin looked up and saw three cars pull in. Obi-Wan stepped out of his, followed by a blonde-haired woman. From the second car, an older man with salt and pepper hair, and the third car, a woman with her black hair tied into a bun.

“Anakin, good to see you,” Obi-Wan greeted. He placed his arm around the woman’s shoulder and said, “This is my wife, Satine.”

Satine reached her hand out and shook Anakin’s. “So, you’re Ben’s new prodigy?”

Anakin shrugged. “I guess I am.”

Satine smiled. “Well, you couldn’t have found a better mentor.” She turned to Obi-Wan and said, “Have a good time. I’ll be at the tennis courts.”

“See you later,” Obi-Wan said. As Satine walked away, the other man and woman approached. “And these, Anakin, are two of my closest friends: Plo Koon and Luminara Unduli.”

Plo stretched his hand out to Anakin’s and they shook. Anakin then shook Luminara’s.

“Obi-Wan has told us a lot about you,” Plo said.

“Really?” Anakin asked. “We’ve only met twice.”

“And that was enough times for Obi-Wan to see something in you,” Luminara said. She grinned and added, “Well then, let’s see what you can do.”

The four golfers walked over to the first tee, Luminara going first. She teed off and the two older men followed. Their swings were fluid and graceful; their clubs made solid contact with the ball and they sailed through the air. Their shots landed between ten and fifteen yards of the green.

“Tough competition,” Anakin said as he walked to the tees. He teed up and set his club down; he took a breath and looked downrange. He pulled back and swung; the loud smack followed and his ball flew through the air. It landed and rolled up, stopping only three yards short.

Anakin turned around, smiling at seeing the looks of surprise on Plo’s and Luminara’s faces. Obi-Wan only laughed.

“I’d watch out if I were you two,” Obi-Wan said. They all picked up their bags and began.

…

Anakin walked towards a small line of trees on the right side of Hole 7. He looked ahead and determined that he was only seventy yards out. He reached for his pitching wedge and walked to his ball.

“I wouldn’t do that,” Plo said as he walked over. He smiled as Anakin stood from his stance as the older man approached.

“You use a pitching wedge right here, you’re going right through those trees and it’s coming right back down,” he said. Plo looked to Anakin and asked, “What would you rather do: go under or over?”

Anakin thought for a moment and answered, “Over.”

Plo nodded. “Very well. Get your nine iron.”

Anakin put his wedge back and retrieved his nine iron. He walked to his ball and waited for Plo’s next tips.

“Place the ball to the back of your stance,” Plo directed. “Angle back the clubface to give you as much loft as possible, choke down on the grip, and give a nice, easy swing. Not all the way, though.”

Anakin nodded as he adjusted his stance and grip. The clubface angled back and Anakin looked to the hole behind the trees. He pulled the club back to about three-quarters of the way and swung.

Anakin’s club glided over the grass as his ball kicked into the air. The ball flew over the trees and landed on the green, stopping about ten feet from the hole.

Anakin smiled as he stood up straight. He heard Plo chuckle as he walked passed.

“I shouldn’t have said anything,” Plo said with a small laugh. The two walked passed the tree line and continued with their game.

…

They arrived at Hole 17 and the group was on the green. Anakin had a twelve-foot downhill putt for Birdie and he was examining the direction he’d have to putt in; plus, he was going downhill, so missing by an inch won’t bode well.

“Tricky, tricky,” Luminara said.

Anakin nodded. “Yes, it is.”

Luminara smiled. “Downhill putts you want a decent speed to make it; at the very least you to stop yourself within three feet or less of the cup.”

Anakin nodded as he finished reading the green. He stood next to his ball and made a few practice strokes with his putter.

“One last tip, use the back or front edge of your putter,” Luminara said. “It’ll deaden your putt.”

Anakin stepped up to his ball and lined up his putter. He shifted the head, lining up the ball with the back edge. He brought his putter back and followed through. The ball rolled down the green, slowing as it reached the hole. It nearly stopped short before it fell right in.

Obi-Wan and Plo cheered as Anakin laughed. He walked over and picked his ball out of the hole. Behind him, Luminara smiled.

“You drive for show, but you putt for dough,” she said.

Anakin chuckled as he tossed the ball in the air and caught it as they walked to the next tee.

…

The group finished their round; Obi-Wan tallied off the scores and set the card down:

_Obi-Wan – 33_

_Luminara – 37_

_Plo – 40_

_Anakin – 39_

“Congratulations, Anakin,” Obi-Wan said.

“Great round,” Luminara commended.

“I’ll be back, young Skywalker,” Plo said with a laugh.

Anakin smiled. “Thank you, all of you.”

“And remember, keep up on your practicing and you’ll be beating Luminara,” Obi-Wan said.

“Try me,” Luminara said with a smile.

The group all laughed as they headed back inside. Anakin looked back down at the scorecard. Smiling once more, he folded it up and placed it in one of his bag's pockets. He set the bag down next to the others and followed them inside.


	4. The Founder

Another week had passed and Anakin had sharpened his skills. Whenever the course would close he’d sneak onto it (with the help of Quinlan) and practice, chipping and putting when night fell and Quinlan would shine a light on the eighteenth green.

One day, Anakin and a few of the other caddies were hanging around their usual spot at the caddy house. The rest of the caddies were out with golfers.

“So Anakin, how was your round with Mister Kenobi?” Aaron Benson asked.

Anakin smiled. “It was great. Obi-Wan’s friends were a real riot. I even beat one of them.”

“No shit?” Justin Hendricks asked. “So when are you going to ditch this gig?”

Anakin and the others all laughed. “Well, I’d have to be rich to ‘ditch this gig’ to afford to golf here every day, and I don’t see that happening.”

“Keep up the brown-nosing and you just might,” Hendricks said.

The caddies all laughed when Eric suddenly exited the building, hitting the wall with a stick to grab the caddies’ attention.

“Alright grunts, we’ve got an important group coming in,” Eric said. “Councilman Palpatine’s playing.”

Anakin and the other caddies looked to each other. “Uh, who’s that?”

Eric looked up. “Councilman Sheev Palpatine, one of the club’s founders. His posse includes doctors, lawyers, judges; you know, pricks.”

Anakin looked to the other caddies and muttered, _“Sorry I asked.”_ The group stifled their laughter.

Eric shuffled the cards. “Alright, here are the assignments of the day. Benson, you have Doctor Richard Floyd. Hendricks, you have Mister Rush Clovis. Skywalker, you get Councilman Palpatine.” He presented the cards.

Anakin and the two other caddies nodded as they took the cards and walked towards the rack holding the golf bags. They checked the cards and grabbed their assigned bags before walking to the first hole and waited.

Suddenly, the caddies heard the clubhouse door open and they looked back. They saw three men walking out; the oldest one was wearing a white golf shirt and pants, the other middle-aged man was wearing a black striped shirt and white pants, and the younger man was wearing a green shirt and grey pants. They were all laughing and talking as they walked towards the caddies.

“Oh good God, these types,” Benson groaned.

Palpatine chuckled as he placed his hand on Rush’s shoulder. “That’s astounding, Rush. What happened next?”

Rush smiled. “Well, after hearing his ex testify against him, my client decided it would be a great idea to shout and scream in the middle of the courtroom and run to the witness stand.”

“What happened afterward?” Floyd asked.

“I forced him to take a plea,” Rush answered. “Luckily I don’t have that ‘you don’t pay unless you win’ nonsense.”

The men laughed loudly as they approached the tee box. They stood next to the caddies and their bags and talked some more. Anakin and the others shifted their gazes in boredom as the three men continued.

“Ah, there you are, my dear,” Palpatine suddenly said.

Anakin looked up and his eyes widened. Walking towards the men was a beautiful, young woman about his age. Her brown hair was tied into a ponytail and she was wearing a red tennis shirt and a black skirt. She smiled as she approached.

 _“Holy mother of God,”_ Anakin said quietly. Benson and Hendricks joined with his gawking as the young woman walked over. Palpatine placed his hand around her shoulder when she arrived.

“Richard, this is my niece, Padmé,” Palpatine said. “She’s staying here for the summer.”

Floyd extended his hand and shook it. “What? Boston too boring for you?”

Padmé smiled. “Yes, exceptionally.”

Palpatine grinned and turned to Rush. “Rush, you remember Padmé, right?”

Rush nodded. “My goodness, Padmé, you look lovely as ever,” he said. He noticed her attire and asked, “You go a few rounds on the court? I’m quite accomplished at tennis myself.”

“I’ll be sure to remember that whenever I beat you too badly,” Padmé said with a smirk.

Anakin allowed a laugh to escape him. Padmé looked over to him and they locked eyes; Padmé stilled for a moment before she smiled at him. Anakin returned it.

“Alright now, let’s tee off,” Palpatine said. He walked over to Anakin, who retrieved the driver from the bag.

Palpatine took the club as he fished a ball and tee from his pocket. He teed up and took up his stance. He pulled back and swung, sending his ball down the fairway. Floyd and Rush followed and the group began walking.

“Jesus, what does Palpatine have in this thing, rocks?” Anakin complained.

Hendricks wheezed. “No shit. I’m pretty sure I’ve got a slipped disk somewhere.”

“That’s because you have the back of an eighty-year-old,” Anakin said.

Anakin heard a small giggle and he turned to his right. He saw Padmé with her hand over her mouth, covering her smile. Anakin returned it, distracting himself enough for him to trip and fall. The full weight of the bag weighed down on him, but he quickly recovered. Padmé kept smiling as she walked ahead.

“Smooth,” Hendricks said. Anakin slapped his arm and they kept walking.

…

The three caddies groaned as they set down the bags. Palpatine, Floyd, and Rush would spend most of their time bragging and boasting about everything they did, eating up about five to ten minutes before each shot they took. Benson and Hendricks were tired of it, but Anakin didn’t mind; it allowed him to steal glances at Padmé…

…and he noticed that she would do the same to him.

“God, I hope they wrap up this conversation quickly,” Anakin said.

“What are they even talking about?” Hendricks asked.

“Fuck knows,” Benson replied.

Anakin sighed again before realization hit him. “Wait, what hole are we on?”

There was a pause and Benson answered, “Hole 13.”

Anakin’s eyes flashed and he laughed. “Perfect.”

“Why?” Hendricks asked. He paused for a moment and his eyes widened in realization. “Oooh, yes. Thank God, some entertainment.”

Rush laughed with the other two as he walked over to his bag. “Three wood, _Garson_.”

Hendricks gave him his club with a fake smile. “Yes, sir.”

Rush took the club and walked to the tee box. He teed up and took his stance; he slowly pulled back and swung.

The sound of an air horn blaring echoed and Rush topped his ball, only hitting it about ten yards. Anakin and the others all bit down on their hands to keep their laughs under control.

“What in the Hell was that?” Rush asked. He turned around and saw the caddies snickering. “Well?”

Playing dumb, Anakin answered, “We have no clue, sir.”

“Yeah,” Benson said, his smile threatening to widen even more.

Rush rolled his eyes as he tossed the club to Hendricks. Floyd retrieved his driver from Benson and teed up. He hesitated as he readied himself, but nonetheless swung; nothing happened and his ball went down the middle of the fairway.

“See, it was nothing,” Hendricks said.

Palpatine grabbed his driver from Anakin and teed his ball. Smiling, he pulled back, but the second he followed through, the horn went off again. His balled sliced, heading towards the edge of the woods on the right side.

Anakin and the others had to try even harder to keep from laughing. He glanced over at Padmé again and smiled; she was trying to contain her laughter as well.

Palpatine grumbled as he collected his tee and handed his club to Anakin. He placed it in the bag and followed Palpatine to his ball. He hit again, placing himself right next to the small wooded OB area.

Anakin and Palpatine began walking over to the ball. “Good recovery there, sir.”

Nodding, Palpatine replied, “Thank you.” He turned and said, “I’ve noticed you around a little. You’ve caddied for Obi-Wan, correct?”

“Yes, sir,” Anakin replied.

“What’s he been shooting?” Palpatine asked.

Anakin thought for a moment before replying. “On average, about sixty-six after eighteen holes.”

Palpatine looked to him in surprise. “Really?”

Anakin nodded. “Oh yeah. He’s been teaching me some as well.” He chuckled a little and said, “Kind of a real surprise. I mean, I got this job to get a little money to support myself, maybe put some down and go to trade school.”

“Well,” Palpatine said as they walked to his ball, “if that doesn’t work out, the world can always use ditch diggers.” He walked ahead of Anakin, and he promptly flipped the old man off.

Rush’s and Palpatine’s shots were right next to each other, so when they arrived, the two men immediately started talking. Anakin looked to see if they’d notice and walked into the OB area. He looked up to Quinlan’s blind, finding the greenskeeper smirking as he looked down.

 _“Nice,”_ Anakin said as quietly as he could.

Quinlan cackled above before saying, “Hey, I laughed too hard and dropped my Altoids tin. Can you toss it up?”

Anakin looked down and found the tin on the ground. He picked it up and asked, “Hey, you mind if I bum one?”

Quinlan paused for a moment before replying, “I don’t know, man. They are ‘curiously strong’, but they sure as Hell ain’t mints.”

Anakin looked at him in confusion before he looked back to the tin and opened it, his eyes widening when he saw what was inside: a bunch of marijuana joints.

“Jesus Christ,” Anakin said in disbelief. He looked up and tossed the tin back to Quinlan. “On second thought, I’m good.”

“Don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it, man,” Quinlan said as he sunk back into his blind.

Anakin shook his head and chuckled once more as he walked out to rejoin the others.

…

It took nearly an hour for the group to finish up. Relieved, the three caddies set the bags down next to the clubhouse and walked to their hangout table.

“What did Clovis say he shoot?” Anakin asked.

“Seventy-one,” Hendricks answered. “What about you?”

Anakin checked and replied, “Seventy.”

“Seventy as well,” Benson said.

“All three are bullshit,” Anakin said. “I saw them _all_ shave strokes.”

“Well, what would you expect from people like them?” Benson asked.

The three caddies laughed as they finally relaxed at their table. Suddenly, Benson and Hendricks went quiet and looked behind Anakin.

“What’s got you two so quiet?” he asked. He turned around and saw Padmé walking towards the clubhouse entrance. All three of them were now staring at her.

“Just when I thought that being a caddy for a bunch of rich assholes was going to be a living Hell,” Benson commented.

“She’s one of the hottest girls I’ve ever seen around here,” Hendricks added.

“That’s younger than thirty?” Anakin asked.

The three laughed and Hendricks replied, “Hey now, Mrs. Foreman is like a fine wine.”

Anakin chuckled a little more as he looked on. Padmé turned a little, catching Anakin staring. She blushed a little and smiled before she walked inside. He sighed a little before resting his head in his hand.

“Anakin, you’re still staring,” Hendricks said.

Anakin snapped his head back. “Shit, sorry.”

The other two caddies laughed lightly. “Don’t even go for it, man. I don’t think a caddy would have much chance with an Ivy League college girl.”

Anakin smirked. “Not with that attitude.” He got up and walked around the building, heading inside through the back door. He walked in, finding Ahsoka hiding out in the hall.

“Now what are you doing here?” she asked.

“I’m on a mission,” Anakin replied. He walked around the rooms, looking all over for Padmé. He glanced around, finding Padmé sitting alone in the lounge reading a magazine.

Anakin took a quick breath and walked into the lounge. He smiled when Padmé hadn’t noticed him approach.

“Good read?”

Padmé jumped a little in her seat and yelped, dropping the magazine. Anakin’s eyes immediately widened.

“Oh, sorry!” he quickly apologized. “I-I didn’t mean to startle you.”

Padmé collected herself and replied, “It’s alright. I didn’t notice you.”

Anakin laughed nervously and said, “I didn’t catch your name out there.” He held out his hand and said, “I’m Anakin Skywalker.”

Padmé slowly smiled and said, “Padmé Amidala.”

Anakin smiled again as he asked, “So, why did you not play?”

Padmé sighed. “Well, I’m not exactly the best in the world. I’m more of a tennis player.”

“I can tell,” Anakin said. “You have a good form for it.”

Anakin immediately felt his face redden. “I-I’m so sorry. That was inappropriate of me.”

To his surprise, Padmé only giggled. “It’s fine,” she said as she blushed a little as well. “But yeah, I didn’t want to be a burden on my uncle’s round.” She picked up the magazine and said, “That’s why I’ve been reading up on this.”

Anakin looked and saw the magazine. It was an issue of _Golf Digest_ , and it was open to the lessons section. “Yeah, when it comes to golf, you can’t exactly just read up on what to do,” he said.

“Oh?” Padmé questioned. “And how would you suggest I learn?”

Without even thinking, Anakin replied, “I can teach you.”

Padmé looked up to him. “Really?”

 _“No going back,”_ Anakin thought. He smiled and said, “Absolutely. I’ve had several lessons and played several times with Obi-Wan.”

“Mister Kenobi?” Padmé asked. “My uncle talks about him a lot.” She glanced around and said quietly, _“I think he’s jealous.”_

Anakin laughed. He collected himself and said, “I would be more than happy to teach you.”

Padmé smiled again. “Alright then. When’s a good time?”

“Hey!”

Anakin looked up and saw one of the clubhouse managers pointing at him. “No caddies in the clubhouse!”

The manager turned and walked away, to which Anakin responded by flipping him off. Padmé giggled as he turned to her.

“Six o’clock sound good?” he asked. “I have a friend who can get us on the course.”

Padmé smiled and nodded. “Sounds good. I look forward to it, Anakin.”

Anakin had to keep himself from cheering. “Great. Uh, I-I’ll see you later tonight.” He scurried out of the lounge and headed through the back. Ahsoka was still leaning against the wall.

“How was your ‘mission’?” she asked.

Anakin chuckled. “Success.”


	5. After Hours

It was a little after five o’clock when Anakin was waiting by the front gates to the country club. He looked ahead and saw a cab pull up and stop. From the back passenger seat, Padmé exited and walked towards Anakin.

The two smiled as Padmé approached. Anakin felt a slight blush on his face as he rubbed the back of his head. “Uh, h-hi, Padmé. I’m glad you came.”

Padmé smiled. “Thank you for this, Anakin. You really didn’t have to.”

“Oh, that’s just me,” Anakin said. “I’m a helpful person.”

Padmé giggled. “So...how exactly are we going to get in? The course is closed.”

Anakin smirked. “Oh, I have my resources.”

Padmé jumped a little when she heard the sound of a horn. She looked up and saw a utility golf cart blazing down the drive towards the gate. It stopped and a young man stepped out.

“What’s up, Anakin,” Quinlan greeted.

“Hey, Quinlan,” Anakin replied. “This is Padmé Amidala, Councilman Palpatine’s niece.”

Quinlan smiled and nodded. “No shit, the councilman’s niece.” He chuckled and added, “Nice catch, man.”

Anakin’s eyes widened. He glanced back to Padmé and noticed her blushing. He looked back to Quinlan, sharply moving his hand across his neck.

Quinlan chuckled again. “Alright, come on in.” He unlocked the gate and opened it, allowing Anakin and Padmé inside. He climbed into the cart while Anakin and Padmé squeezed into the other seat; both of them averted their gazes from each other.

Quinlan drove and arrived at the first tee box, Anakin’s bag already set out by him. He stopped and allowed the other two to get out.

“Thanks, Quinlan,” Anakin said. “I’ll see you.”

Quinlan waved as he sped off. Anakin chuckled as he led Padmé over to the first tee box.

“Whose are these?” Padmé asked.

“Mine,” Anakin replied. “A gift from Mister Kenobi.” He smiled when Padmé stared at the bag, impressed. He reached in and grabbed his driver, walking over and teeing up a ball.

“Alright, first things first: stance and posture,” Anakin said. He walked in front of her and took his stance. “Your feet should be lined parallel to each other. Your knees should be slightly bent and lined up with the balls of your feet. Your back should be arched and your left arm straight.”

Padmé nodded. “Okay. Sounds simple enough.”

Anakin smiled. “Here, now you.”

Padmé grabbed the driver and stood next to the ball. She took her stance as per Anakin’s instructions. “Like this?” she asked.

Anakin looked and nodded. “Looks great. Just bend your left knee a little more. Then, just pull back and swing.”

Padmé took a breath as she looked down the fairway at the green. She pulled the club back and swung. She topped the ball, skidding it across the grass for only a few feet. She sighed in disappointment.

“You’re alright,” Anakin said. “Don’t be dejected, I’ve done the same.” He walked up and stood right by her.

“Remember to keep your left arm as straight as you can even when swinging,” Anakin said as he moved Padmé’s arm. “Turn your body when you swing,” he added.

Padmé felt her face blush as Anakin’s rough hands touched her. With his proximity to her, she had to use every last bit of willpower to keep from shuddering.

“Slowly bring the club back, and just follow through,” Anakin said. He teed another ball up and stood back. Padmé took another breath and she pulled back slowly, keeping her eyes on the ball.

The clubface connected and the ball sailed into the air. It came back down and rolled, stopping about fifty yards short of the green.

Padmé smiled and she turned around. She giggled a little when she saw Anakin’s dumbfounded face. He whistled and commented, “Well, I’d daresay you’re off to a good start.”

“Thank you,” Padmé said. She looked to where her ball landed and asked, “Shall we?”

…

Anakin taught Padmé everything that Obi-Wan had taught him. Between shots, he talked her through some other tips as they walked. However, after two holes, the subjects quickly changed and they were now talking about themselves to each other.

“So, you’re in college?” Anakin asked.

Padmé nodded. “Yes. I’m attending Amherst and majoring in Political Science and Economics.”

Anakin’s eyes widened briefly. “Quite the workload,” he commented.

Padmé giggled. “It is, and it does get a little crazy at times.”

“Well, if anyone can handle it, you can,” Anakin said.

Padmé looked over at Anakin. “Oh? And why do you say that?”

Anakin felt his face redden. “Uh, I…” he trailed off and said, “You just seem like a smart and capable person, and you-”

Padmé immediately started giggling. “You’re funny when you’re like this.”

“Like what?” Anakin asked.

“Flustered,” Padmé answered. “You’re very…cute.”

Anakin made a small laugh as he rubbed the back of his neck.

“So, what about you?” Padmé asked.

Anakin laughed a little. “Well, I barely graduated from high school. I’m fairly certain that they handed me the diploma to get rid of me.” Padmé laughed again, which made him join in. “I’ve thought about furthering my education and going to trade school; I’m a pretty dexterous mechanic.”

“Really?” Padmé asked.

Anakin nodded. “Ever since I was five, I’d go down to small junk shops and pick up anything broken, take it back, and fix it.”

“Sounds like you’re really good with your hands,” Padmé said. Her eyes widened and her face instantly reddened. “Uh, I mean with fixing things, of course. I-I didn’t mean-”

“Mean what?” Anakin asked with a smirk.

Padmé’s blush grew as she tripped over her words. “Uh, I…” She was interrupted by Anakin’s laughing.

Feeling a little bit of confidence in him, he asked, “Now who’s the cute one when flustered?”

The two laughed lightly as Anakin continued his lessons with Padmé. He showed her the various techniques and tips that Obi-Wan, Plo, and Luminara had given him. Padmé still struggled in some aspects, but she was quickly improving.

Anakin and Padmé were now on the ninth green. He had set out a line of golf balls for Padmé to practice putting. However, she was consistently missing them.

“Ah, come on,” Padmé groaned when she missed another putt.

Anakin walked over and examined Padmé’s stance. “You’re hitting at an angle.”

Padmé’s brow scrunched. “How?” she asked.

Anakin walked over and said, “You want to putt using just your arms. Make sure you have a good grip so that your club doesn’t slip.”

Feeling bold, Anakin walked up behind Padmé and lowered his arms down next to hers. He wrapped his hands around Padmé’s on the putter grip. He pulled back and putted the club a few times.

“Slow and easy strokes are what you want,” Anakin said. “Just let your arms do the work.” He fished a ball out of his pocket and dropped it. He moved it to their position and lined up the putter.

“Slow and easy,” Anakin repeated. Padmé tried as best as she could to control her shudder from Anakin’s proximity to her. She took a quick breath and slowly pulled the putter back, smoothly following through as she hit the ball. It slowly rolled all fifteen feet before falling perfectly into the hole.

Padmé cheered as Anakin pulled away. She turned around and without thinking, they both embraced. They were in each other’s arms for a few moments before quickly pulling away. They both blushed and laughed shyly.

“Uh…thank you, Anakin, for teaching me,” Padmé said.

Smiling, Anakin replied, “Oh, it was no problem.” They smiled at each other before Anakin looked to the sky and said, “It’s getting late.”

Padmé looked a little dejected. “Oh, yes. Of course.”

Anakin tilted his head. “Come on. I’ll walk you down to the gate.”

Padmé nodded and the two walked passed the clubhouse, down the winding drive, and to the front gate. Anakin opened it and Padmé walked out.

“I’m staying not too far from here,” Padmé said. “I’ll be alright.”

Anakin nodded. They were both quiet, trying to find something to say to each other before leaving.

“Well, it was nice meeting you, Padmé,” Anakin said.

Padmé smiled. “Same here. Th-Thanks again.” She trailed off and said, “Well, I hope to see you around.”

Anakin returned the smile. “Oh, you probably will.”

Padmé nodded. “Well, goodbye.” She turned and walked off.

Anakin waved. “Goodbye.” He kept standing at the gate until Padmé was out of sight. He sighed and dropped his hand before turning around and walking back up. He headed to the ninth green and grabbed his bag, placing it in the small space next to the maintenance building.

Stopping for a moment, Anakin walked to the door and knocked three times. A few seconds passed and Quinlan opened the door. He smiled and said, “Anakin, what’s up, man?”

Anakin nodded. “Hey, Quinlan. Can I come in?”

“Sure,” Quinlan answered.

Anakin stepped through the doorway and walked to the center of the room. He stopped and took in the interior: it was a fairly untidy space, with a small bed lying on the far side. There was a TV and a radio on a small table. On the far wall hung a large American flag. Sitting in the center was another table with three chairs surrounding it.

“Nice place, Quinlan,” Anakin said. He looked around and asked, “Do you live here?”

Quinlan shrugged. “Well, yes and no. I just crash here whenever the club is open.”

Anakin walked over and stood in front of a shelf; it was filled with various military memorabilia. There was an ammo box, a flask, spent bullet casings, a few photographs, binoculars, a couple of medals, a helmet, and various other odds and ends.

“Quite a collection here,” Anakin said as he grabbed the helmet. Written on the side of it in bold print was **HELLRAISER**.

Quinlan smirked. “That’s all my old man’s stuff. He was a Marine; two tours in ‘Nam. He worked here for years before I came. I guess I’m taking over the family business.” He sat on his bed and added, “But you’re not here to talk about my old man. What’s on your mind, my friend?”

Anakin nodded as he set the helmet down. “You’re right,” he said. He walked and sat down in the chair across from Quinlan. “It’s about that girl I was with.”

Quinlan chuckled. “Oh yeah? She’s a dime, man.” He looked up to him and asked, “So, how far did your _private_ lessons go?”

Anakin shook his head. “No, no. It didn’t go like that.”

“Why not?” Quinlan asked. “She’s one fine gal. I’d say you go for it.”

Anakin laughed. “Really? Me and her? Come on, man. She’s a rich college girl, the niece of one of the founders, and I’m just a poor, young caddy at his country club.”

“Exactly,” Quinlan said. He popped open the cap of his flask and said, “Look at Aayla and I. She’s absolutely head over heels for me.” He took a drink and continued. “These well-do girls love guys like us. They like someone rebellious, edgy; someone to break the monotony of their ‘high-class lives’.”

Quinlan leaned forward and said, “My advice to you is just shoot your shot. She show any interest in you?”

Anakin shrugged. “We did talk a little, and whenever I’d look at her she’d shy her gaze away.”

Quinlan smirked. “Nice, man.” He stood up and walked to the other shelf in the space. “Anakin, my friend, you just need to calm yourself and relax.” He grabbed something and showed it to Anakin.

“'Altoid’?” he offered.

Anakin looked down at the tin and shook his head. “No thanks, Quinlan.”

Quinlan chuckled. “Ah, come on, man. Light one up with me.”

Anakin looked at the tin as Quinlan opened it. He stared at the joints inside for a moment before looking back at Quinlan. “Alright, fine,” Anakin relented.

“Excellent,” Quinlan said. He walked to his radio and popped in a cassette. Anakin smirked when he heard Hendrix’s “Little Wing” start to play. Quinlan handed Anakin a joint and he accepted it. He examined it in his hand as Quinlan flicked on his lighter. Anakin took a deep breath and placed his lips on the end as Quinlan lit it. Anakin took a drag from it, held the smoke for a moment, and exhaled.

“I’m not going to start seeing crazy shit, right?” Anakin asked.

Quinlan chuckled as he lit his joint and took a drag.

“There’s a significant possibility.”


	6. High Society

A couple of days had passed since Anakin gave Padmé her lessons and “hung out” with Quinlan. He didn’t remember how he had gotten home, that’s all he knew whenever he woke up the next morning at about seven.

Monday came and Anakin groaned as he rolled out of bed and headed into the kitchen. He found Ahsoka sitting at the table.

“And where in God’s name were you the other night?” she asked.

“Huh?” Anakin asked. “Oh, remember that girl I told you about? Padmé? I was giving her some lessons that night at the course.”

“But still, you woke me up around one in the morning,” Ahsoka said.

Thinking, Anakin replied, “Oh yeah, Quinlan and I hung out for a bit.”

“What did you do?” Ahsoka questioned.

“I…” Anakin trailed off “…have no idea.”

“Must’ve been some potent stuff,” Ahsoka said. Anakin looked at her in confusion and she added, “I could smell it on you from my room.”

Anakin chuckled a little as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, let’s get going. Hopefully, we didn’t do anything too bad to the property.”

Ahsoka laughed as they left the apartment and headed down to Anakin’s truck. They climbed in and Anakin drove off to the country club. They arrived a few minutes later and parted, Ahsoka heading inside while Anakin walked to the caddy house. Benson, Hendricks, and all the others were all gathered.

“Hey,” Anakin greeted. “What’s going on?”

“Eric’s called us all together,” Benson answered.

Anakin looked ahead as he saw Eric walk out. “Alright grunts, listen up. I wanted to tell you all that there’s been a lot of complaints recently. Poor behavior, poor caddying; smoking, foul language, sneaking off while on the clock, and just general unprofessionalism.”

Eric looked all over at the group. “I want to remind you all that you have jobs here at the discretion of the club owners. Make no mistake, any more trouble and you’ll be replaced by golf carts. Me? I honestly don’t care. An inanimate object is easier to look after than you.”

He looked around and waited to see if anyone had anything to say. “Now that that’s out of the way, you’ve got golfers waiting.” He grabbed some cards from his pocket and read them off, reaching Anakin.

“Skywalker, you’ve got Mister Kenobi,” Eric said. “He specially requested you.”

The rest of the guys all snickered. “Uh oh, looks like we’ve found the kiss-up.”

“I hate you all,” Anakin said. He took the card and walked over to where the bags were set out. He grabbed Obi-Wan’s bag and walked to the first tee. A few minutes later, Obi-Wan joined him.

“Nice to see you again, Anakin,” he said.

“You too, Obi-Wan,” Anakin replied.

Obi-Wan smiled as he grabbed a ball and tee from his pocket while Anakin pulled out his driver. He nodded in thanks and took it, teeing up and swinging, sending his ball downrange. Anakin took the driver back and shouldered the bag.

…

They had played nearly all eighteen holes, not much being said between them. Once they walked off of the sixteenth tee was when Anakin spoke.

“Obi-Wan, can I ask you something?” Anakin asked.

Obi-Wan looked to Anakin and said, “Of course, my friend. Fire away.”

Anakin thought his question through for a moment before saying, “Well, what kind of advice can you give me on women?”

Obi-Wan looked to the younger man. “Surely a handsome young man like you doesn’t have trouble with the fairer sex,” he said.

Anakin shook his head. “No, but I do if this girl’s in a completely different social class.”  
Obi-Wan nodded and smiled. “Ah, I see.” He chuckled as he reached his ball and Anakin handed him his seven iron. “So, who’s the young lady that grabbed your attention?”

“Padmé Amidala,” Anakin replied.

Obi-Wan chuckled. “Palpatine’s niece?” He laughed as he hit, placing his ball within five feet of the hole. “I can see why you’d be concerned, but in the same breath of things, I don’t see why you would be.”

They walked up to the hole and Anakin handed Obi-Wan his putter. He lined himself up with the ball and the hole. “Padmé’s a kind, understanding young lady. Your best bet is just to talk to her.” He putted, rolling the ball perfectly towards the hole and sinking it.

Nodding, Anakin said, “Sounds like the same advice Quinlan gave me.”

Obi-Wan laughed again as he picked up his ball. “And let me guess: after he gave you that advice, he put on some Hendrix and you enjoyed one of his ‘recreational’ activities?”

Anakin’s eyes widened briefly. “Uh…” he trailed off and rubbed the back of his neck “…how would you know about that?”

Obi-Wan chuckled again. “Because his father and I would do the exact same thing whenever I was your age. Every now and then I’ll join him. I’m glad that he picked up his father’s music tastes.”

The two laughed as they walked to the next tee. As he handed Obi-Wan his driver, Anakin said, “Even then, I feel that we’re on different planes due to our backgrounds.”

Obi-Wan smiled. “That doesn’t matter. However, if that’s how you feel, then why not get a feel for where she comes from?”

“What do you mean?” Anakin asked.

“The club tonight is having their annual ‘start of summer’ party tonight. Luminara, Plo, and I are attending, so why don’t you come along?” Obi-Wan suggested.

Anakin looked at him. “Oh, I’m not-”

“Anakin,” Obi-Wan interrupted, “what did I tell you about being too polite?”

Sighing, Anakin replied, “Stop being too damn polite.”

Obi-Wan laughed and patted his shoulder. “That’s the spirit.” He gave him a look and added, “Palpatine’s always there, so there’s a chance Padmé will be as well.”

Anakin smiled as he followed Obi-Wan to the next tee, surprised at what Obi-Wan had dragged him into.

…

A few hours later, Anakin was standing outside of the clubhouse entrance. He was wearing a grey suit that he had bought at the local Goodwill. Sure, it wasn’t as nice or flashy as some of the suits he’d seen others wearing, but it was good enough for a pinch.

Anakin looked ahead and saw a couple of cars pull in. Obi-Wan and Satine exited one, followed by Plo and a woman Anakin guessed was his wife, and from the third, Luminara and a younger woman.

“There he is!” Obi-Wan called loudly. “Anakin, I’m so glad you could come.” He patted the younger man’s shoulder.

Anakin smiled. “Thanks for inviting me.”

Obi-Wan chuckled. “Well, you already met Satine, Plo, and Luminara. This is Plo’s wife, Margaret.” Anakin shook her hand and the younger woman with Luminara approached. “And this is Luminara’s niece, Barriss.” Anakin nodded in acknowledgment to her.

“Alright, let’s crash,” Obi-Wan said.

“Crash?” Anakin asked.

The group laughed. “That’s what Obi-Wan calls attending a party put on by Palpatine,” Satine said.

“Why?” Anakin asked.

“Because Palpatine doesn’t like him,” Plo said.

Laughing, Obi-Wan led the group through the doors and towards the ballroom. Inside, there were several tables set up, and each one was filled with club members and their invitees. On the far side, there was a small band playing some soft dance music.

Obi-Wan dragged them to one of the empty tables. They sat down and a server came over.

“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen,” Ahsoka said. “Can I-” She stopped when she looked down and saw her brother.

“Anakin?” she asked. “What are you doing here?”

“Oh,” Anakin said. He looked back and said, “Mister Kenobi, I mean ‘Obi-Wan’, invited me.”

Obi-Wan smiled. “Hello. And who might you be?”

“I’m Ahsoka,” she replied. “I’m Anakin’s stepsister.”

Obi-Wan nodded. “Sorry I didn’t know about you. Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to invite you next time.”

Ahsoka cocked an eyebrow. “A real shame that my dear brother didn’t mention this. I guess I’ll have to give him a harder slap upside the head.”

A small giggle grabbed Ahsoka’s attention. She looked up and saw Barriss covering her mouth to stifle her laughter. She smiled and winked at Ahsoka.

Ahsoka felt her face redden and she stammered, “Uh, w-what can I get for you?”

Obi-Wan smiled and said, “Just the 1950 Dom Pérignon and seven glasses.”

“The 1950’s reserved for Councilman Palpatine,” Ahsoka said.

Obi-Wan smiled as she reached into his pocket and handed Ahsoka a twenty. She smiled and took it. “Well, it seems that Councilman Palpatine isn’t here yet. I’ll get that for you.”

Obi-Wan smiled. “Excellent.”

* * *

Anakin sat with the group for nearly an hour and a half, drinking with them while they talked and told funny stories. Anakin at first felt a little apprehensive about sitting with people like Obi-Wan and his friends. However, he quickly learned not everything was how it seemed.

For starters, Obi-Wan, Plo, and Luminara all came from simpler backgrounds. As he had told, Obi-Wan was a caddy at this club just like Anakin. Luminara was born in a strict Catholic family with several siblings. Plo had run away from home when he was a teen.

Despite these hindrances, each of them were able to succeed in life. Obi-Wan got an entry-level job with real estate, and within a few years, he found himself as the owner of the firm. Luminara attended night classes and years later, she attended medical school and was now a successful surgeon. Plo joined the Army after running away and fought in the Korean War. He retired his commission and became the owner of his own leasing company.

Obi-Wan finished off the last of his champagne and looked behind him. He saw Palpatine and the group accompanying him. They were all laughing and talking with each other.

“Good Lord, Palpatine’s group seems to be having a good time,” Obi-Wan said. He turned to the group and asked, “How about we join ‘em.”

Anakin watched the rest of the group loudly cheer and get up. He followed them to the open space, stopping when they reached them. Palpatine was standing at the front, with Floyd, Rush, another couple of men, and Padmé. Both she and Anakin immediately locked eyes with each other; they smiled and blushed.

“Palpatine!” Obi-Wan exclaimed loudly. “So good to see you!”

Palpatine forced a grin. “I guess I must say that the feeling is mutual, Obi-Wan.” He turned and noticed Anakin. “Mister Skywalker. What are you doing here?”

Obi-Wan pulled Anakin to his side and said, “I invited him out tonight. This young man has got untold potential in him when it comes to golf.”

“So I’ve heard,” Palpatine said as he looked at Anakin.

Obi-Wan grinned and said, “Hey Palpatine, why don’t we catch up a little.”

Not giving him time to answer, Obi-Wan dragged Palpatine away. Padmé approached Anakin and he smiled. She looked absolutely stunning, wearing a beautiful white evening dress and her hair flowing freely.

“It’s good to see you again, Mister Skywalker,” Padmé said.

Anakin grinned. “You as well, Miss Amidala. You look lovely.”

Before Padmé could say anything to Anakin’s compliment, Rush stood in front of her and asked, “Don’t you work here?”

Anakin nodded. “Yes, I do.”

Rush chuckled lightly. “If that’s the case, then I need a refill,” he said as he presented his glass.

Anakin rolled his eyes. “Sorry buddy, but I’m not on the clock.”

Padmé giggled. “Anakin, would you mind joining me for a dance?”

Anakin smiled. “Of course.” He offered his hand and they walked onto the dancefloor, Rush looking on in confusion. They stood at the center, Anakin taking Padmé’s hand and wrapping his hand around her back.

“Thank you so much,” Padmé said as they started dancing. “I had to get away from him.”

“Why?” Anakin asked sarcastically. “He seems like a real charmer.”

Padmé groaned. “He’s so full of himself. My uncle’s been trying to set me up with him, but neither of them can take a hint that I’m not interested.”

Feeling brave, Anakin asked, “Oh? And do you have someone you find interesting?”

Smiling, Padmé replied, “Maybe. It’ll take some time for me to tell though.”

“I can’t wait,” Anakin said with a smirk.

“Hey Palp, why the slow music?!” Obi-Wan called loudly. “It’s the start of summer.”

“I’m not turning this ballroom into a frat party,” Palpatine answered.

“God, you’re so uptight,” Obi-Wan said as he headed to the band. He walked to the leader and handed him some money. “Hey buddy, play us something upbeat.” He handed some bills to each band member and said, “And you guys, don’t listen to this geezer.”

The band members all smiled and immediately started playing louder and faster. Obi-Wan walked back over and took Satine’s hand. More people started crowding the floor to dance. Anakin looked back to Padmé and tilted his head towards the exit. She nodded and they walked out.

The two walked outside and stood on the small patio, letting the warm summer breeze gently blow around them. Anakin smiled as he looked over to Padmé.

“So, would I be correct in saying your uncle dragged you here against your will?” he asked.

Padmé sighed. “Yes. As I said, he’s giving his all to try and get Rush and me together.”

“Ah yes, your ‘mystery interest’,” Anakin said. He turned to Padmé and asked, “So, you think you could tell me about him?”

Padmé also turned to face Anakin and returned the smile. “Well, he’s handsome and funny. He enjoys helping people, but only if they’re likable.” She stopped for a moment and said, “All in all, he’s a sweet guy.”

“He sounds amazing,” Anakin said with a chuckle. “So, why not tell him?”

“Because I’m not sure if he feels the same for me,” Padmé said.

Anakin gentle placed his hands on her hips. “And what if I said that he does?”

Padmé smiled. “Then I’d be relieved.” The two closed their eyes as their lips slowly inched towards one another.

Suddenly, the moment was ruined by the sound of a door flying open. They quickly pulled apart just as Palpatine and his group walked out.

“Come, Padmé,” he said curtly. “We’re leaving.”

Padmé hanged back as the group walked passed. “I’d like to see you again, Anakin,” she said.

Anakin smiled. “Well, how about another round of lessons tomorrow night?”

Padmé nodded. “I look forward to it.” She hurried to catch up with the group, leaving Anakin alone on the patio. He smiled and chuckled to himself. He heard the door open again and laughed when Obi-Wan’s rambunctious group waked out.

“Anakin!” he called loudly. “There you are! I hope you had a good time!”

Anakin looked to where Padmé had left. “Oh, you could say I did.”

“Great!” Obi-Wan exclaimed. “Well, I’ll see you around!” the rest all said their goodbyes, with Barriss hanging back a moment.

“Give this to your sister,” Barriss said with a smirk as she handed Anakin a piece of paper.

Anakin accepted the paper and the group left. The door opened again and Ahsoka joined him.

“You sure do find yourself in the strangest situations,” Ahsoka said.

Anakin chuckled. “Oh, Luminara’s niece told me to give you this.”

Ahsoka took the paper and unfolded it; her eyes widened.

What is it?” Anakin asked. He leaned over and looked at the paper; he pulled back and laughed loudly while Ahsoka blushed.

_Call Me_

_555-8475_


	7. Partytime in Lower Coruscant

It was another after-hours night at the country club and Anakin was giving Padmé another lesson. This time, he was directing her while she played nine holes for score. After only an hour, they were at the ninth hole.

Anakin smiled as Padmé’s tee shot flew into the air and landed halfway down the fairway. “Your drives have gotten consistent.”

Padmé smiled as they walked towards her ball. “Now it’s just everything else that needs work.”

“I’ll help you through them,” Anakin said.

Padmé sighed. “I love this.”

“Love what?” Anakin asked.

“Quiet evenings, and being with you,” Padmé replied.

Anakin smiled again. “I like being out here with you too, Padmé.” They reached Padmé’s ball and she grabbed Anakin’s six iron. She took the stance that Anakin had shown her, set the club down next to the ball, and swung. The club hit the ground and then the ball, only sending it twenty feet.

Padmé groaned and Anakin chuckled. “Keep your head down,” he reminded her.

“I know,” Padmé replied. They walked to her ball and she took her stance. She swung her arms back and hit, sending the ball high in the air and landing it fifteen feet from the hole.

“Nice,” Anakin commended. Padmé smiled as they walked to the green. Anakin handed Padmé his putter and she took it, eyeing her ball and the green.

Grinning, Anakin said, “Tricky putt here.” He looked to Padmé and added, “You’ve gotta sink this to score below fifty.”

“Don’t pressure me,” Padmé said.

Anakin chuckled. “How about this: if you make it, you’ll choose what our date is, but if you miss, I’ll get to choose.”

Padmé looked up at him with a cocked eyebrow. “So no matter what, you get a date with me?”

“I play both sides, that way I always win,” Anakin said with a smirk.

Padmé rolled her eyes. “You’re something else, Anakin Skywalker.” She looked at her ball again and confidently said, “You’re on.” Concentrating as best as she could, Padmé lined up the putter with the ball. She eyed her line one last time before slowly pulling back and swinging her arms like a pendulum. She hit the ball, rolling it up the small incline towards the hole. It slowed down a little, but not enough to stop; the ball sank right into the cup.

“Whoa,” Anakin said softly. He looked to Padmé, who was grinning widely and chuckled.

“A deal’s a deal,” she said.

Anakin nodded. “Indeed. So, what will it be?”

Padmé thought for a moment before she smiled and answered, “You know, I’m honestly tired of the dreary old Upper Side. I want to see where _you’re_ from.”

Anakin turned his head to Padmé in surprise. “Really?” he asked.

Padmé nodded. “Yes.”

Smiling, Anakin replied, “Well then, let’s go.” He dropped his bag off next to the shed and he and Padmé walked to his truck. They climbed in and Anakin pulled out and away from the clubhouse. Anakin drove them through the nice Upper Coruscant neighborhood; the streets were dark and quiet, the only lights coming from inside. Then, they crossed the tracks.

Padmé stared in wonderment at the change in atmosphere; where Upper Coruscant was relatively quiet this hour, Lower Coruscant was bustling. Music was playing loudly from inside homes and on sidewalks, people mingled, danced, and laughed all through the streets and sidewalks. Many of them yelled in elation as they spotted Anakin’s truck.

“Anakin, what’s up?!”

“Anakin! How’s it going?!”

Padmé laughed as she took in the environment. “I never see this where I live,” she said.

Anakin smiled. “Not much, but it’s home.”

“I think it’s spectacular,” Padmé said.

Anakin smiled again as he drove through the busy streets. Finally, they arrived outside a small restaurant on the corner. He turned off the truck and climbed out, Padmé following suit.

“Best place to eat this side of Coruscant,” Anakin said. A hand-painted sign above the door read _Gianni’s_. He smirked and said, “Get ready.”

Padmé looked at him in confusion as he opened the door. She walked inside, finding herself in a relatively small but cozy space. The walls were decorated with old black-and-white pictures and Italian flags. It was filled with people and standing behind the bar was an older man. Suddenly, he looked up and noticed Anakin; his face upturned into a large smile.

“ANAKIN!” he yelled loudly.

The restaurant patrons all looked up and joined in the man’s cheerful greeting. They raised their glasses or waved at Anakin and he returned the gesture. The man nimbly vaulted over the bar and approached Anakin, wrapping the young man in an embrace.

“My boy, how’ve you been!?” he asked loudly.

Anakin laughed. “I’ve been great, old friend.”

The man chuckled before looking to Padmé. “Oho, and who is this lovely lady you’ve brought?”

“This is Padmé Amidala,” Anakin replied. He turned to her and said, “Padmé, this is the owner of this fine establishment, Gianni Turi.” Anakin turned back to Gianni and said, “Padmé here wished to see where I hail from, and I couldn’t think of a better place to take her for a taste of Lower C.”

Gianni chuckled again. “You’ve come to the right place, my dear.” He gestured his hand out and said, “Sit anywhere.”

Anakin smiled as he led Padmé to a table by the window. He pulled the chair out for her and sat down across from her. She smiled as she looked around at the various patrons talking and laughing with each other.

“You certainly know a lot of people here,” Padmé said.

Anakin laughed. “This is only one place. People know each other all up and down these streets.”

“How do you come to know so many people?” Padmé asked.

Smiling, Anakin explained, “Well, it’s just how things go here. Everyone’s so compact that you’re kind of forced to know everybody.” He paused a moment and said, “It brings a true sense of community here.”

Padmé looked to the crowded restaurant and smiled. Even though everyone here most likely came here separately, it seemed as if they were talking to everyone nearby as much as they were to their own tables.

“Where I come from, the only people you need to remember are the ones who are important to you later,” Padmé said.

Anakin smirked and said, “Here, everyone’s important to each other.”

* * *

Anakin and Padmé spent nearly two hours at _Gianni’s_ , getting to know each other more and more. Eventually, some of Anakin’s other friends were able to drag him to their table, and they were more than welcoming for Padmé. She initially was a little hesitant, but within five minutes, to them it was as if she had lived in the same place as them their whole lives.

Thirty minutes later, Anakin and Padmé headed out, laughing merrily from the long conversations they had with the others inside. Anakin was about to climb back into his truck when he saw a familiar face. Quinlan was walking up, smiling and waving.

“Anakin, what’s up?” he greeted.

“Nothing much,” Anakin replied.

Quinlan turned and saw Padmé. “Miss Amidala, what are you doing in this neck of the woods?”

Padmé nudged Anakin’s side. “I asked Anakin to bring me here for our first date.”

Quinlan chuckled. “You see man, I told you she was a catch.” He laughed as the two blushed. Calming down, Quinlan said, “Lawrence Street is having its monthly block party. Padmé, if you want a real look at Lower Coruscant, you should come along.”

Padmé giggled. “Well, how can I refuse?”

Quinlan cheered. “Alright!” He hopped into the truck bed and yelled, “Anakin, take us there!”

Laughing, Anakin climbed into his truck and started it up. Padmé climbed in and asked, “What’s so special about Lawrence Street?”

Anakin chuckled. “Oh, you are in for a real treat.” He pulled away from _Gianni’s_ and down the street, following the vibrant crowd. A few minutes later, he jumped when he heard a pounding on top of his truck.

“Pull in here!” Quinlan yelled. “This is it!”

Anakin turned his truck, driving slowly down a small cul-de-sac. All over were several cars and trucks parked along the street (and in yards), people partying all over. 

Anakin stopped his truck and climbed out. Quinlan hopped from the back while Padmé got out of her side. Her smile widened again as she took in the noises and people all over. Anakin joined her and outstretched his hand over the scene before them.

“Welcome to Lower Coruscant.”

Padmé smiled as she walked with Anakin through the crowd of people. She was taken aback by the scene. The usual parties and gatherings she attended were all formal, black-tie events, with soft, slow music playing and small talk between attendees.

Here, it was the exact opposite. Men and women of all ages and wearing diverse clothes mingled with each other. They happily yelled and sang with the loud music that Padmé felt thump against her chest. Each home was having its own party confined to their property lines, but the rowdiness spilled across the yards and street.

The two followed Quinlan to one of the yards. The people gathered yelled in greeting when they saw Anakin and Quinlan.

“Lee, beers please!” Quinlan yelled.

A young man nodded as he reached into a cooler and tossed two cans to Anakin and Quinlan. Then, Padmé saw Lee toss something else to Quinlan: a screwdriver.

“Bottoms up!” Quinlan yelled.

“Bottoms up!” Anakin replied.

Quinlan raised his screwdriver while Anakin got his truck key. Suddenly, they stabbed the sides of their cans, placed the holes over their mouths, and pulled the tabs. The people all around cheered on as the two downed their beers. They pulled away and yelled as they crushed and threw their cans down. The crowd cheered, Padmé joining in.

“What was that?” Padmé asked.

Quinlan laughed. “That’s called ‘shotgunning’, Miss Amidala.”

Timidly, Padmé then asked, “Can I try?”

This time, Anakin felt some level of responsibility hit him. “Uh, I don’t know if you should.”

“Ah, come on, Anakin!” Quinlan said loudly. “Let the girl live a little!”

Before Anakin could object, another beer was tossed to Quinlan. He caught it and gave the can and screwdriver to Padmé.

“Alright, you wanna puncture the can at the bottom, place it over your mouth, and pop that tab,” Quinlan explained. “This’ll empty the can faster.”

Padmé nodded as she took the can. She looked nervously around at the crowd of people that had gathered; she felt so out of place.

Anakin could sense her apprehension and said, “Padmé, if you don’t want to, you don’t-”

_tssSSS_

Anakin was interrupted by the sound of a can being punctured. His eyes widened when he saw Padmé tilt the can to her mouth and pop the tab. She kept her mouth attached to the can, the crowd cheering her on. She pulled away and crushed the can, throwing it to the ground.

The crowd gave a loud cheer, pumping their arms in elation. Padmé smiled and basked in the cheering crowd. Her eyes locked with Anakin, whose jaw had dropped. She gave him a sly wink, and he in turn smiled widely.

* * *

Anakin and Padmé spent several hours at the block party. Padmé was happy and overjoyed to be free of the confines of the usual high-class expectations and to finally “let her hair down”. Anakin was more than happy to show Padmé what all she was missing to break that monotony.

Anakin and Padmé were now in a heated game of cornhole. Anakin was down to his last bag, and he had to sink it to cancel out his and Padmé’s opponent's points and win by one.

Anakin held the cornhole bag in his hand, readying himself to take the shot. All over, he had people cheering him on while others (including their opponents) heckled him.

“You can do it, Anakin!” Quinlan shouted, clearly drunk and a haze of smoke around him.

Anakin stared down at the other board, eyeing his target. He arched his arm a few times, ready to toss.

“Anakin!” Padmé yelled. He looked up and saw her smiling. “Win this, and I’ll make it worth your while!”

Nodding and smiling, Anakin readied himself again. He arched his arm twice, and the third time, he released the bag. It sailed through the air and hit the top of the board. It slid a little before stopping and sinking into the hole.

Anakin, Padmé, and all of their onlookers cheered. Padmé ran to Anakin and jumped into his arms in a hug. She pulled back and a second later, she leaned up and kissed Anakin right on his lips.

Anakin felt as if time had stopped. His eyes were wide and his arms were open in surprise. He could hear hoots and hollers from everyone around him. Padmé pulled away, giggling at the dumbfounded look on Anakin’s face. He smiled and laughed before leaning down, the two kissing once more.

“Hell yeah!” Quinlan shouted. “Get it, Anakin!”

Anakin pulled away and laughed, Padmé joining him. He looked to his watch and his eyes widened; it was nearly two in the morning.

“Shit,” he groaned. “I had better get you home.”

Padmé looked at Anakin’s watch and her eyes widened. “My goodness, you’re right.”

Nodding, Anakin started walking them to his truck. Quinlan noticed them walking away and yelled, “Hey, where ya going!”

“I have to take her home!” Anakin replied.

“Ah-” Quinlan was interrupted by several coughs. “Ah, come on, man!”

Anakin shook his head. “It was fun, but I need to get her home!” he replied. He guided Padmé to his truck and they climbed in. He started it up and slowly pulled out. He honked the horn as he drove passed anyone he knew (which was constant).

The ride back to Upper Coruscant was relatively quiet, the only noise coming from the radio. A few minutes later, Anakin had pulled up in front of Councilman Palpatine’s house. He put the car in park and looked to Padmé.

“So, did that give you a good idea on how the ‘other half lives’?” he asked.

Padmé giggled. “Yes,” she replied. “I had such a great time with you.”

“I did too, Padmé,” Anakin said. He paused for a moment and asked, “So, was that kiss planned, or was it a spur of the moment?”

Padmé smiled. “A little of both.” She paused and added, “Call it satiating a curiosity.”

Smirking, Anakin asked, “Oh? And did it meet your expectations?”

“That and more,” she replied as she leaned in.

Anakin closed his eyes as their lips met once more. The warmth and softness of Padmé’s lips was something he could get addicted to; he didn’t want it to end.

However, Padmé slowly pulled away and smiled. “Well, goodnight, Anakin. I’ll see you later.”

Nodding, Anakin said, “Goodnight.”

Giving him one last smile, Padmé climbed out of Anakin’s truck. She unlatched the gate and walked up the long driveway towards the house. Anakin watched her as she opened the door and walked inside, disappearing from sight. Whistling to himself, Anakin smiled as he pulled away from the house to make his way back across the tracks and back home.


	8. Complications

Anakin’s eyes slowly opened, closing quickly when the sun shined right into his eyes. He groaned as he climbed out of bed and walked out of his room. He took a quick (cold) shower and headed back out, dressed for work. Ahsoka was already sitting at the table.

“Where were you last night?” Ahsoka asked.

Anakin chuckled. “Lawrence Street,” he answered.

“Wait a minute,” Ahsoka said. “I thought you were giving Padmé another lesson.”

“I did,” Anakin said, “and she wanted to see what Lower Coruscant was like, so I brought her to _Gianni’s_ and then Quinlan dragged us to Lawrence Street.”

“Oh my God,” Ahsoka said through a laugh. “I’d daresay she got a full experience.”

Anakin smiled. “She fit in perfectly.” He popped his neck and added, “And I’m only just a tad hungover. You ready?”

Ahsoka nodded and the two headed out and climbed into Anakin’s truck. He started it up and pulled away to head towards the country club. Anakin pulled through the gate and drove up the drive a few minutes later, parking at the back.

“See you in a bit,” Anakin said.

“Have a good one,” Ahsoka replied.

Anakin waved as he walked towards the caddy house. Eric was once again sitting in his office while some of the other caddies were gathered at the table. Anakin greeted Hendricks and another caddy named Myers.

“Skywalker,” Eric said.

Anakin walked to Eric’s office and asked, “Yeah? What’s up?”

“Councilman Palpatine wants to see you in his office,” he said.

Anakin’s eyes flashed briefly and he asked, “What for?”

Eric sighed. “Do I look like a damn mind reader? Just go to his office.”

Anakin held up his hands and said, “Fine, alright.” He walked away from the caddy house and headed into the clubhouse. He made his way through the various rooms until he found a door with a bronze plaque that read _Councilman Palpatine_. Anakin opened the door and walked inside.

Beyond the door, Anakin found himself in a nicely-decorated office. The walls were covered in photographs, awards, and some certificates. Anakin looked up and saw another picture of a younger Palpatine standing next to the other club founders: Obi-Wan’s mentor, Qui-Gon Jinn, and Christopher Dooku, a judge who had died years ago.

Anakin looked up and saw Palpatine sitting at his desk, and standing next to him was Rush; Anakin immediately felt angry.

“Anakin, my boy,” Palpatine said with a smile. “Please, sit.”

Anakin walked in front of Palpatine’s desk and sat down. The two other men stared him down.

“Anakin, how long have you been working here?” Palpatine asked.

Thinking for a moment, Anakin answered, “About a month now.”

Palpatine nodded. “And, what’s your highest education level completed?”

Anakin squinted. “High school,” he answered.

Rush chuckled lightly and Palpatine smiled. “Have you any prospects of continuing your education?”

“If you remember, I’ve told you I’ve thought about going to trade school,” Anakin replied. He looked up and saw Rush chuckle again. “May I ask why you’re asking me these things?”

Palpatine smiled as he rose from his chair and walked around. “Anakin, my boy, this club was founded back in 1964 as the model for high society and its members. Qui-Gon was far more free-spirited than Christopher and me, but the message was all the same.”

“Sir, what’s the point of this history lesson?” Anakin asked.

Palpatine turned around and gave Anakin a pointed glare. “The point of his talk, young man, is you!” he said loudly. “My niece came home last night smelling of cheap alcohol and other strange odors. She told me of the ‘great time’ you both had.” He pointed angrily at Anakin and said, “I don’t want my niece mixed with the rabble who work here.”

“What the Hell does that mean?” Anakin asked, his temper bubbling.

Rush stepped forward. “He means that you don’t belong. She’d never want to be with anyone like you, my friend.”

Anakin pointed to Rush. “I ain’t your friend, ‘bud’.”

Palpatine stepped forward a little and said, “I’m certain you’ve heard from Eric about the complaints against the caddies. Know that I will not hesitate to fire anyone I see fit.” He got in Anakin’s face and hissed, “I don’t want you near my niece ever again, or I swear to high Heaven, there will be consequences.” He maintained his glare on Anakin. “Am I clear?”

Anakin had to fight every fiber in his body to keep from socking both Palpatine and Rush. He felt his fist close and his jaw clench. He took a breath and replied, “Crystal, sir.”

Palpatine smiled. “Good. I’m glad you understand. You can go.”

Anakin gave him a fake smile and walked out. He closed the door and let out a breath before he walked back through the clubhouse, heading back outside. Eric walked out and said, “Skywalker, you’ve got Kenobi again.”

Anakin nodded as he walked towards the first tee. Obi-Wan cupped his hands and yelled, “Grab your clubs!”

Anakin nodded as he walked to the shed and opened the door. He chuckled when the smell of weed hit him and he found Quinlan still asleep. He grabbed his clubs and headed to the tee box.

“Hey, Anakin,” Obi-Wan greeted. He looked up and saw Anakin’s expression and he could tell something was up. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

Anakin sighed. “I just got told by Councilman Palpatine to stay away from Padmé.”

Obi-Wan’s eyes widened a little. “Damn. Why?”

Anakin laughed dryly. “Because according to him, someone like me has no business being with someone like her.” He teed up his ball and took his stance, swinging and sending his ball down the fairway.

“What does he mean ‘someone like you’?” Obi-Wan asked as he teed up and swung. He put his driver back and the two collected their bags.

“You know, someone like me,” Anakin said. “Someone from Lower Coruscant; someone who isn’t working for a salary; a ditch digger.”

Obi-Wan shook his head. “I swear, that man always finds new lows.”

Anakin nodded as he reached his ball. He grabbed his pitching wedge and said, “I don’t know what choice I have. The caddies and I are hanging by a thread right now and anything else will see us fired.” He swung, hitting his ball high and planting it within seven feet of the hole.

“But…?” Obi-Wan trailed off as he hit his ball, placing it within _five_ feet of the hole.

Anakin sighed. “But I can’t help what I feel for her. I never once cared that she goes to an Ivy League school, or that one of her dresses costs more than my whole closet. She’s incredibly kind and caring, she’s remarkably beautiful, and she looks passed me toiling all day in the sun and my six-year-old truck with half the upholstery remaining on it.” Anakin putted, groaning when his ball lipped out; he tapped it in.

“I’ve met Padmé several times,” Obi-Wan said as he putted and sunk his ball for Birdie. “She’s an independent young woman. Palpatine shouldn’t be holding a tight leash against her.”

Anakin nodded as they walked to the next tee box. “I just don’t know what to do, Obi-Wan.”

Obi-Wan sighed as he teed up his ball. “Well, there’s no luck in trying to convince Palpatine. He’s a hard man to break through.” He swung and hit his ball down the fairway. “My best advice to you is to just do what you feel is right, my friend.”

Anakin nodded. “Thanks, Obi-Wan. That helps a lot.” He grabbed a ball and teed up, hitting his shot down the middle of the fairway.

…

Anakin and Obi-Wan finished their round, Obi-Wan heading into the clubhouse while Anakin put his bag back in the maintenance shed. The rest of his shift went on for several hours before it was finally closing time.

Ahsoka walked out of the clubhouse and headed to the truck. Anakin walked to her and tossed her the keys.

“You can take the truck back home,” he said. “I’m staying back for a little bit.”

“Why?” Ahsoka asked.

Anakin shrugged. “Just going to hang with Quinlan for a bit.”

Nodding, Ahsoka said, “Alright. Well, see you later.” With that, she climbed into the truck and started it up. Anakin headed to the maintenance shed as she pulled out. He knocked twice on the door and Quinlan immediately answered.

“What’s up, man?” he greeted. “Come on in.”

Anakin walked passed and sat down in the small chair. Quinlan closed the door and walked to his bed, sitting down and asking, “So Anakin, how’ve things been?”

Anakin shrugged. “They could be better.”

“Oh yeah? What is it?” Quinlan asked as he grabbed his flask and unscrewed the cap.

Anakin sighed. “I’m in hot water with Palpatine. It’s not pretty.”

Quinlan nodded. “I understand perfectly.” He took a drink and asked, “So, what trouble are you in with him?”

“Well, to put it simply, he doesn’t want me anywhere near his niece ever again,” Anakin explained.

Quinlan huffed. “Ouch. That’s harsh, man.”

Anakin nodded. “It’s rough, and I’ve been given some advice, but I just don’t know what to do.” He sighed and said, “I need something to distract me.”

Quinlan looked up and smiled. “Oh buddy, those are dangerous words to say around me.” He sat up and grabbed the utility cart keys. “Come on, let’s go.”

Anakin followed Quinlan out of the shed and the two climbed into the cart. Quinlan started it up and they took off through the course. They made it to the other side where the large houses were and Quinlan stopped.

“So, what have you got in mind?” Anakin asked.

Quinlan smirked. “A truly time-honored classic, my man: ding-dong ditch.”

Anakin immediately stifled his laughter at what Quinlan said. “Jesus. What are we? Twelve?”

“You can’t beat the classics, man,” Quinlan said. He pulled the keys out and the pair exited the cart. Night had now completely fallen, the darkness providing the perfect cover. They slowly stalked up the lawn of one of the houses, hiding out next to one of the bushes in the front.

 _“Alright, I’ll make the first hit,”_ Quinlan said quietly. Crouching, Quinlan slowly approached the front door. He looked back to Anakin and the two gave each other thumbs up. Quinlan turned around and pushed the doorbell multiple times.

In a flash, Quinlan ran away back to the bush where Anakin was hiding. He had managed to duck behind it just as the light came on and the door opened. An older man wearing a maroon robe looked outside. He looked extremely annoyed as his eyes scanned all over for whoever had rung his bell. He gave a small shout and shut the door.

Anakin and Quinlan had to bite down on their hands to keep from laughing too loud _. “Okay, I take it back,”_ Anakin whispered. _“I forgot how much fun this is.”_

Quinlan chuckled. _“Onto the next mark.”_

The pair left the yard and slowly walked across several other lawns. They reached another house with a roofed entryway and Quinlan said, _“Alright, you’re up.”_

Anakin nodded. _“Let’s see if I can one-up you.”_ The two hid behind another bush as Anakin walked to the front door. He pushed the button several times and the second he finished, he scurried up along one of the columns and sat atop the small roof.

The light turned on and the door opened; another older man walked out. Through the shine of the light, Anakin could see Quinlan losing it behind the bush. He could hear the man below him grumble to himself as he shut the door and turned off the light.

Anakin shimmied down the column and rejoined Quinlan. He was controlling his breath to keep from laughing and said, _“Oh? So that’s how we’re doing this? You’re on.”_

…

For the next few houses that Anakin and Quinlan hit, they had tried topping each other with how close they could be to the front door when the angered resident arrived. So far, Anakin had sitting over the entryway, lying on a porch swing, and standing behind another column. Quinlan had hanging horizontally across another roofed entryway, planking next to a row of plants, and hanging in a tree.

Anakin was now slowly walking up to the front of another house. This one had a potted tree right next to the door, and if Anakin could hide enough behind it, he’d be in a perfect blind spot. However, the second Anakin reached the doorway, the light turned on.

_“Shit.”_

“Break for it, man!” Quinlan shouted.

Anakin turned and sprinted away just as the door opened and he heard an angry yell. Quinlan was far ahead of him while Anakin was catching up. He quickly glanced back and saw an older man with a bat.

“Holy shit!” he exclaimed. He continued running back across the various yards, following Quinlan towards the utility cart. Anakin had ran passed and hopped into the driver’s seat. Quinlan jumped into the bed.

“Drive, fool!” Quinlan yelled as he tossed Anakin the keys.

Anakin fumbled the keys as he inserted them into the ignition. He started the cart and peeled out just as the old man arrived. They sped off across the course, leaving the old man behind, shouting and waving his bat. Anakin and Quinlan looked back and laughed as they made their escape.

“Holy Hell, Anakin,” Quinlan said through more laughs. “That was a close call.”

Anakin laughed. “Yeah. The others must’ve given him the slip and-”

_SPLASH_

Anakin jerked forward and yelled as the cart suddenly dipped and crashed right into one of the water hazards. He flew overhead from the force of it and landed in the water.

Quinlan scrambled out of the bed and climbed onto the grass. He helped Anakin onto solid ground; he shook his head, his long hair drenched. Quinlan looked at the cart and merely sighed; Anakin freaked.

“Holy shit!” Anakin said. “Quinlan, I’m so sorry!”

Quinlan shrugged. “Don’t be. I guess you never did drive this course at night.”

Anakin placed his hands behind his head. “Dammit. What am I going to do?”

“'You’?” Quinlan asked. “No, it’s what am ­ _I_ going to do?”

“What?” Anakin asked.

Quinlan waved his hand. “I deal with it, man. Don’t you worry.” He popped his neck and said, “Let’s go.”

Anakin looked at Quinlan with uncertainty as they walked across the course and back to the shed. Quinlan opened the door and turned back. “I’ll see you tomorrow, man.”

Anakin stared at the door even as Quinlan closed it. He sighed and looked to the clubhouse; he let out another breath as he walked down the drive to make the walk back home.

* * *

Like clockwork, Anakin and Ahsoka pulled into the country club. Anakin got out and headed to the caddy house. He could see some of the caddies having heated conversations this early in the morning; something was wrong.

“Hey guys,” Anakin greeted. The caddies all looked to Anakin and he asked, “What’s going on?”

“You didn’t hear?” Benson asked.

Anakin’s brow furrowed. “Hear what?”

“Quinlan got fired,” Hendricks said.

Anakin’s eyes widened. “What?!” he exclaimed.

Another caddy, Chris, said, “Quinlan and somebody else went ding-dong ditching last night. He crashed the utility cart into the water hazard on Hole 11. He refused to give up his ‘co-conspirator’, and Palpatine fired him.”

Anakin couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He turned away from the caddies and headed to the maintenance shed. He knocked three times and waited; it took a little too long for Anakin’s liking and he knocked twice again. The door finally opened.

Quinlan was standing at the door wearing his usual attire and aviators. Slung over his shoulder was a green canvas bag. He smiled when he saw Anakin.

“Morning, man,” Quinlan greeted.

“Quinlan, what the Hell?” Anakin asked. “Why did you take the blame for all of it? _I_ crashed the cart.”

Quinlan nodded. “Yeah, I know. There was no way in Hell I was letting you take the fall.”

Anakin outstretched his hands. “Why?”

Quinlan smirked. “Because you’re a good guy, Anakin. I wasn’t going to let you take the fall when I dragged you into my bullshit.” He stepped out and closed the door. “You’re a good friend, Anakin. I’ll be alright” He patted him twice on the shoulder.

Hefting his bag, Quinlan walked towards the beat-up truck that was parked next to the shed. He stopped and said, “Oh, I almost forgot.” He fished into his pocket and tossed a set of keys to Anakin. “Your clubs are still inside. I’ll see ya around, man.”

Anakin glanced down at the keys as Quinlan climbed into his truck. He gave Anakin a salute as he pulled out, and Anakin watched as his friend drove away and out of sight.


	9. Secret Date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Suggested listening: at second Line Break, "You're the Inspiration" by Chicago

Padmé was sitting on the shaded back porch of her uncle’s house, a book in her lap, and a glass of water on the table next to her. It was a beautiful July afternoon and she wanted to take advantage of the nice day to catch up on one of her favorite novels.

Padmé heard the door open and she looked up; her Uncle Palpatine walked out onto the back porch. He was dressed to go out sailing, the ridiculous captain’s hat on his head.

“Padmé, my dear,” Palpatine said. “Good afternoon to you.”

Padmé nodded. “Good afternoon to you too, Uncle.”

Palpatine smiled. “I’m heading down to the marina to meet Rush. Care to join us?”

Padmé had to hide the look of disgust and disinterest on her face. “No thanks, Uncle.”

Walking around, Palpatine said, “I don’t understand why you’re giving young Mister Clovis the cold shoulder.”

Padmé looked up at her uncle and replied, “I’m just not interested.”

Palpatine smirked and said, “Oh, I see.” He chuckled a little and said, “I understand.”

“Understand what?” Padmé asked.

Palpatine smiled. “You needn’t worry, Padmé. Young Skywalker won’t be bothering you again.”

Eyes widening, Padmé looked to her uncle. “What?” she asked. “What are you talking about?”

“Skywalker has no business being with you,” Palpatine said.

“Why?!” Padmé asked loudly. “He’s really sweet and I like him.”

Palpatine gave her a look. “You’ve only met him a small handful of times.”

“That may be true, but I’ve connected more with Anakin those couple of times than you tried with Rush and I since I arrived here,” Padmé argued.

“You cannot be serious,” Palpatine said.

“I am,” Padmé said. “He’s nice, he’s handsome–”

“He’s rabble who works for me,” Palpatine said. “You are going to Amherst–top five percent of your class. He’s a damn caddy who drives a rustbucket, hangs out with degenerates, and most of all, he has no real ambition.”

Padmé gaped. “How could you say something like that?!”

Palpatine pointed and glared at her. “Now you listen and listen good, young lady. I do not want you associating with him. He will only drag you down. He doesn’t belong with people like us.”

“I am not a child, Uncle,” Padmé hissed. “Go ahead. Disown me, cut off my financial aid, I won’t care.”

Palpatine paused for a moment. “It’s clear that you need some time to cool off.” He straightened out his cap and said, “I will be down at the marina, and you will stay here, young lady.”

Padmé glared at her uncle as he turned and walked out of the porch and back inside. A few moments later, Padmé could hear his car pull out and drive away.

The second she heard his car pull away, Padmé put her book down and walked inside the house and out the front door. She climbed into her car and started it up, pulling out and driving towards the country club.

* * *

Almost a week had passed since Quinlan had been fired. Not bothering to hire another greenskeeper, Palpatine merely had the caddies pick up Quinlan’s old jobs to stack on top of their own duties. This included mowing the grass, fixing divots, picking up limbs, and several other jobs for them to do under the overbearing sun.

Anakin groaned as he closed the cover of the lawnmower. He wiped his eyes with the collar of his shirt and was covered in grease spots. He walked over to the caddy house, finding Benson, Myers, and a few others gathered around; they all nodded in greeting.

“Goddamn,” Hendricks groaned. “How in the Hell did Quinlan do all his shit every day?”

“He was probably on something each shift,” Anakin suggested.

The caddies all nodded. “Good point,” Myers said.

Anakin sat down and let his thoughts wander. Palpatine probably knew that Anakin was the one with Quinlan; he was betting that Quinlan’s firing was serving as a warning not to test Palpatine, that he would do it again without hesitation.

Anakin’s thoughts then drifted to Padmé. He couldn’t deny what he felt for her; however, Palpatine’s threats still hung over him.

 _“Maybe it wasn’t meant to be,”_ Anakin thought. _“Perhaps it was too good to be true.”_

“Hey, Anakin.”

Anakin looked up and saw another caddy walking to him. “What is it, Madsen?”

“You’re needed inside. Palpatine’s office,” Madsen said.

Anakin’s eyes widened, _“Now what?”_ he asked himself. Sighing, Anakin got up and headed inside. He walked the familiar path to Palpatine’s office and entered. He readied himself for whatever the councilman was going to rip into him for. However, Anakin paused when he saw Padmé standing next to the desk, Palpatine nowhere in sight.

“Padmé?” he asked.

Padmé turned around and smiled. “Anakin,” she said softly. She briskly walked towards him and embraced him, which he returned.

“Padmé, what is it?” Anakin asked.

Pulling away and looking into his eyes, Padmé said, “My uncle told me what he said to you.”

Anakin slowly nodded and chuckled a little. “Yeah, he’s a real charmer.”

Padmé made a look of disgust. “He said so many horrible things about you, that I had no business being with you.” She sighed and said, “And of course, when I fought back, he gave me the old spiel; you not being enough, you’re rabble, the usual.”

Anakin’s brow furrowed in concern. “Padmé, I don’t want to cause any problems for you. I may be willing to put everything at risk for you, but you shouldn’t do the same.”

“Why not?” Padmé asked. “That’s what people who love each other do.”

Anakin’s eyes flashed briefly when Padmé leaned up and kissed him. He immediately relaxed and wrapped his arms around her. Padmé relaxed into Anakin’s embrace as they kissed.

Padmé pulled away and said, “Anakin, I know we haven’t known each other long, but I cannot help what I feel for you. I alone should be allowed to be with who I wish.” She trailed off and added loudly, “Social circles and expectations be damned!”

Anakin’s eyes widened and he smiled. “You certainly have your way with words.” He paused and said, “I just don’t know what we’re going to do.”

“Don’t worry,” Padmé said. “Despite the obstacles that stand before us, we’ll find a way.”

The two embraced again and Anakin said, “So, do you think you can find a good cover for later tonight?”

Padmé giggled. “I think I can tell my dear uncle something. I’ll give him the impression that I want nothing to do with you, and he’ll drop it.”

Anakin laughed. “Devious, devious.” They laughed once more before Anakin said, “Well, this ‘ditch digger’ must get back to work.”

Padmé nodded. “I understand.”

Anakin placed a kiss on her cheek and said, “Meet me at the club gates at about five.”

“I can’t wait,” Padmé said. She smiled as Anakin walked out of the office. She looked down at her dress, noticing a few stains of grease on her.

She didn’t care.

Anakin was smiling and cheering to himself as he walked away from the office and through the club. He was thinking now about what he and Padmé could do when he saw a phone nearby. An idea came to mind and Anakin picked it up, dialing a number. It rang twice before the other end picked up.

_“Gianni’s, how can I help you?”_

“Gianni, it’s me, Anakin,” he said.

 _“Anakin, my boy!”_ Gianni exclaimed. _“So good to hear from you. How’ve you been?”_

Anakin chuckled. “I’ve been fine, Gianni.”

 _“That’s great,”_ Gianni said. _“So, what can I do for you?”_

“You remember Padmé, right?” Anakin asked.

 _“Of course,”_ Gianni replied. _“Such a sweet girl.”_

Anakin smiled. “Yes, she is.” He looked in the direction of the office and said, “Anyway, you think you could put together something together for us?”

 _“Oh? What were you thinking?”_ Gianni asked.

Anakin thought for a moment. “Well, what would go good with a night with your wife?”

Gianni paused for a moment before laughing. _“Oh, my boy, I know just what to give you. You won’t be disappointed.”_

“Thanks, Gianni,” Anakin said. He laughed again and said, “Lo apprezzo.” He hung up the phone and continued back outside to the caddy house.

* * *

Hours later, Anakin was leaning against his truck outside the gates to the club. Once again, he wasn’t exactly “dressed to impress”, but he had showered and gotten his cleanest clothes for the occasion.

Anakin looked ahead and saw a nice car pull up next to him. He smiled when he saw Padmé exit. She said something to the driver and the car pulled away. Padmé approached Anakin and the two embraced.

“That your cover?” Anakin asked.

Padmé smiled and nodded. “Yes. I told my uncle that I’d be going to a movie with her.” She looked away and said, “It was tough for me to say it, but I told my uncle that I wanted nothing to do with you, that everything he said about you was right.”

Anakin chuckled. “Ouch, harsh.” He smiled and asked, “Well, are you ready?”

“Ready for what?” Padmé asked.

Anakin’s smile widened. “It’s another surprise.”

Padmé smiled and said, “Well, I can’t wait.”

Anakin chuckled as he opened the door to the passenger seat and allowed Padmé in. He walked around and climbed in, starting up the truck and pulling away.

“So your uncle took the bait?” Anakin asked.

Padmé rolled her eyes. “Perfectly. He praised me for ‘seeing the error of my ways’.”

Anakin laughed. “I don’t see what he has against me. I feel that I am a perfect influence on people.”

Padmé giggled again. Anakin drove them back across the tracks to Lower Coruscant. Once again, Padmé was enamored by the energetic evening scene. Eventually, she saw Anakin pull into a large open lot where several cars were parked. He maneuvered and backed his car into an open space.

“What’s this?” Padmé asked.

Anakin smiled as they both got out. “Welcome to what locals call ‘The Amphitheatre’,” he explained. “Lower Coruscant’s amateur performers, some bands, a couple of plays, this is where we get cultured…and sometimes drunk as Hell.”

Padmé laughed. “So, who’s playing tonight?”

“My friend, Gregg’s, band,” Anakin said. “So, the latter of what I said is more likely.” He walked to the back of his truck and opened the bed, revealing two folding chairs, as well as a small cooler. He jumped into the bed and turned to Padmé.

“Come on up,” Anakin said. Padmé took Anakin’s hand and yelped when he quickly pulled her up. She laughed as they sat down and looked to the now lit stage.

“And my dear friend Gianni was able to give me a hand,” Anakin said. He opened the cooler, revealing a bottle of red wine.

“Such a charmer,” Padmé said as Anakin popped the bottle open.

Anakin chuckled. “Aren’t I?” he said as he handed her the bottle. She grabbed and took a sip from it when suddenly the other people in the vehicles around them started cheering as a group of young men walked onto the stage and took their spots. One with long blonde hair stepped to the microphone.

“Good evening, LC!” Gregg yelled. “We’re ‘Men of the Blues’, and we are here tonight to serenade each one of you and all of Lower Coruscant!”

Padmé found herself cheering on with the others. The band started playing; the guitarists and their chord-playing and complex solos, the bassist thumping along, and the drummer hitting the snares, toms, and cymbals. All of it was wrapped together with Gregg’s astounding vocals.

Padmé smiled as she listened to the band play; some covers, some originals, all of it she enjoyed. She practically abandoned her chair, electing to sit in Anakin’s lap, which he was more than happy to allow.

Taking another sip from the bottle, Padmé said, “Thank you for bringing me here tonight, Anakin.”

Smiling, Anakin replied, “Well, I do what I can.” He trailed off as he took a drink from the bottle. “I’m sorry that I can’t exactly take you out to anything better, but almost all of Ahsoka and I’s money goes to rent and-”

“No,” Padmé interrupted. “I don’t care how much you have in your bank account. You care about me, and to me, that’s all that matters.”

Anakin sighed and smiled. “Well, I guess I’ll need to only worry about that when I ask you to marry me.”

“What?” Padmé asked.

“What?” Anakin repeated.

Padmé playfully slapped Anakin’s chest and the two laughed as the performance continued. The band played for another hour, with Anakin and Padmé talking during it.

“You didn’t!” Padmé said loudly.

Anakin laughed as he took another long swig of the wine bottle. “Yes, I did,” Anakin said. “My big fat mouth and I decided to get into an argument with Coach Barnes over our defensive strategy. He said I had no idea what I was talking about, and I proceeded to call him a jackass.”

Padmé laughed as Anakin took a drink from the wine bottle. “How many laps did you run?”

“I wish I ran laps,” Anakin said. “He got so pissed he punched me in the stomach and busted his clipboard over his knee.”

“Oh my God,” Padmé said. “You sound like you were a real troublemaker.”

“Oh?” Anakin asked. “What about you? Surely ‘Miss Amherst’ here has had their brush with trouble.”

Padmé giggled. “Well, there _was_ the library incident.”

Anakin’s eyes widened. “Dear God, tell me.”

Padmé sighed and laughed. “To make a long story short, I was studying in the library, pulling an all-nighter. I was so tired, and when I went to put one of my books up, I accidentally leaned a little too much and tipped the bookcase.”

Anakin immediately started laughing, and Padmé was trying to talk over her own laughs. “At least ten shelves fell like dominoes. I could hear the thunderous footsteps of the poor soul working the desk, and I knew I had to beat it. In my infinite wisdom, I climbed out the window and immediately fell into a ditch. Covered head-to-toe in mud, I ran back to my dorm.”

The two laughed even more, Padmé grabbing the wine bottle from Anakin’s grip. She tilted her head back, finishing off the wine and setting the bottle down. She leaned into Anakin’s shoulder.

“Tonight was amazing, Anakin,” she said softly into his ear.

Anakin smiled. “Tonight was great for me too, Padmé.” He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer. The band on stage was playing a slow rock song; the guitarists hit one last chord and the crowd erupted in cheers.

“Thank you so much!” Gregg yelled. “Thank you all, and we wish you goodnight!”

Anakin and Padmé cheered as the band exited the stage. Padmé sighed and said, “I don’t want to go.”

Nodding, Anakin said, “I know, but we don’t want your uncle to get suspicious.”

“I know,” Padmé said. Slowly, Anakin climbed out from the bed, helping Padmé down and helping her into the truck. He closed the door and climbed into the driver seat. Slowly, Anakin pulled out and drove away from the open lot, making his way towards the tracks.

Anakin crossed into Upper Coruscant, slowly driving along the road. He stopped about fifty feet from Palpatine’s house and said, “I’ll walk you to the gate. I don’t know if he’s watching.

“Probably,” Padmé said. They climbed out, silently walking to the gate in front of Palpatine’s driveway. She opened the gate and stood in front of Anakin.

“Thank you again for the fun night,” Padmé said.

Anakin softly held Padmé’s hands in his. “Anything for you.” The two leaned into each other and kissed, him placing his hands on her back while she held him by his face. Slowly, they separated and smiled.

“Goodnight, Padmé,” Anakin said.

Smiling, Padmé replied, “Goodnight, Anakin.” She pulled away, keeping her hand in Anakin’s as long as possible before letting go and making her way up the driveway. Anakin walked to a blind spot to hide when Padmé reached the door. She opened it and walked inside.

With a smile on his face and his heart thumping, Anakin walked back towards his truck. He started it up and made a U-turn to head back to his side of the tracks.


	10. Fireworks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Meant to post this on July 4th. One day late, oh well (shrug)

Weeks went by and June came to a close. In that time, Anakin and Padmé went on several more dates together. Lunch and dinner at the local spots around Lower Coruscant, parties at Anakin’s friends’ houses, or just simple walks around town, interacting with the colorful and interesting people.

And through it all, Palpatine was none the wiser. According to Padmé, he was happy that his niece was finally mingling with people in “their” crowd and not Anakin’s. Padmé’s friends were more than willing to cover for her, finding her “rebellious trysts” romantic.

Padmé was at the country club, playing tennis with her friend, Amanda. She readied herself as Amanda readied another serve when she looked up and saw Anakin fooling around with the other caddies. He laughed with them before looking over; he smiled and winked.

“Padmé heads up!”

Padmé looked back and ducked as the tennis ball came hurling back, missing her by a foot. She collected herself and looked up. Anakin was laughing and waving at her before he and the others headed out onto the course.

Amanda looked back and laughed. “Girl, you seriously lucked out.”

Padmé giggled. “Thanks. He’s taking me to view a fireworks show tonight.”

Amanda smiled. “You need me to grab you again?”

“If you’re offering,” Padmé said. The two friends laughed and walked off the tennis court. They made their way inside and placed their racquets inside their lockers. They changed back into their regular clothes and headed into the clubhouse.

Padmé and Amanda sat down at a small table at a nearby window. “So, tell me more about Anakin.”

Smiling, Padmé replied, “He’s so sweet. He almost does too much to impress me, but anything he does is enough. He truly knows how to treat a woman.”

“Well, I’m happy for you, Padmé,” Amanda said. “I only wish your uncle would be more open-minded about you two.”

Padmé sighed. “It’ll take an act of God for that to happen.”

The two girls sat at the table and talked more for nearly half an hour before they heard some boisterous voices laughing and talking loudly. Padmé looked up and groaned when she saw Rush and some of his friends.

 _“Great,”_ she said quietly. _“Him.”_

Rush noticed Padmé and headed over. “Padmé, I’m surprised to see you here.”

Padmé gave Rush a fake smile and asked, “Rush, why ever would you say that?”

“Well, it seems that you always make plans with your friends,” he said. “You never seem to attend any of your uncle’s gatherings and events, and you never get to see me.”

“And yet, here you are,” Padmé said; Amanda bit back a laugh.

“I don’t get you, Padmé,” Rush said. “I mean, it’s not like you’re seeing anyone.”

Padmé wanted nothing more than to say with confidence that she _was_ , but she wasn’t ruining it. “Correct, Rush. I may be single, but what I’m not, is desperate.”

Rush gave her a look as Amanda held back her laughter once more. He turned to his friends and said, “Come on.” The group walked away, leaving the two women alone.

Amanda finally let loose and laughed; Padmé joined her, both of them trying their hardest to keep at a respectable volume.

“Surely he’ll get a hint after _that_ ,” Amanda said.

Padmé shrugged. “Oh, he’ll be back to try again next time. He always does.”

Amanda collected herself and said, “Anyway, back to Anakin.” She slyly smiled and asked, “So, have you and Anakin…you know?”

Padmé initially was confused by what Amanda said, but her eyes widened and her faced flushed when realization hit her.

 _“Amanda!”_ Padmé hissed quietly.

Amanda gave her a look. “Oh, come on. I swear, each time you two lock eyes with each other it screams ‘have me’.”

Padmé’s face reddened even more. “Th-that’s just…” She trailed off as Amanda cocked her eyebrow.

“Padmé, don’t you lie to my face,” she said with a small laugh. “You two are meant for each other, it’s about time you two seal the deal.”

“I am not going to pressure him into sex, Amanda,” Padmé said.

Amanda chuckled. “I’m not saying to pressure him, Padmé. I’m just saying that you need to give him some…encouragement.” She could see the uncertainty in Padmé’s face and said, “Don’t tell me that you haven’t thought about it.”

Padmé continued to blush. “Well…”

Amanda smiled. “See, I told you.” She leaned back and said, “Just give Anakin gentle nudges, and I guarantee he’ll be putty in your hands.”

…

Anakin and Madsen were riding in the utility cart, picking up dead limbs along the edge of the course. Madsen drove with a lit cigarette lazily hanging from his lips while Anakin grabbed any limbs that he drove passed.

“So, you coming out to Wright’s Farm for the fireworks show?” Madsen asked.

Anakin nodded. “Hell yeah. I’m bringing Padmé along too.”

Madsen laughed as he let out a puff of smoke. “Buddy, hooking up with the owner’s daughter? That is possibly the biggest ‘F-you’ to these assholes.”

Anakin laughed. “Oh, I know.”

Laughing again, Madsen asked, “So you’ve shown her almost all that LC has to offer, but has one of those spots been your bedroom?”

Anakin’s eyes widened briefly. “Uh, no.” He leaned down and grabbed another limb. “No,” he repeated.

“Why not?” Madsen asked. “She’s fine with a capital ‘F’. I’m amazed you didn’t tap-”

“Stop,” Anakin said, but he couldn’t help but laugh. “Come on, I respect her more than that.”

Madsen shook his head. “Anakin, I’m not saying pounce outright. You gotta soften up to her.” He stopped so the pair could pick up more limbs. “You know, go with the usual: arm around her shoulder, bring her in close, whisper sweet things in her ear. Eventually, you say and do the right things and she’s butter, and before you know it, you’re on your back and she’s straddlin’ ya.”

Anakin felt himself blush. “I thank you for the… _advice_ ,” he added, “but still, I don’t want to force Padmé into-”

“Anakin,” Madsen interrupted, “you’ve told me about you two multiple times. You’re both crazy for each other. If she feels the same, she’ll probably welcome your advances.”

Anakin thought about it for a moment. “Alright,” he said. “I’ll…give it a try.”

The two climbed back into the fully-loaded cart and rode it to the edge of the woods. They got out to empty the back as Madsen smirked. “I’m telling you, man. You better shoot your shot, because just remember who she’s related to. You’re playing with fire being with her, so you may not get another chance.”

Anakin rolled his eyes. “Whatever, man.” The two climbed back into the cart and drove back, Anakin in deep thinking on how he’d best approach the situation.

* * *

“Are you sure, my dear?”

Padmé sighed as she turned around and faced her uncle. “Yes, Uncle. Amanda is picking me up. She, some other friends, and I are just going to watch the fireworks display at Rea Park.”

Palpatine smiled. “Ah, Miss Kincaid. I like her,” he smiled again. “Good for you interacting with ‘our circle’.”

Padmé had to bite back a snarky comment and said, “Of course.” She glanced back and saw Amanda’s car pull up. “There she is. I’ll probably be back tomorrow morning.”

“Very well,” Palpatine said.

Padmé waved as she hurried to Amanda’s car. She got in the back and said, “Alright, I’m good.”

“Great,” Amanda said. “I have your change of clothes. You can change in the back.”

Padmé nodded as she looked at the clothes. She took a deep breath as she grabbed them.

…

Anakin exited his apartment building wearing a red tank top and blue jeans. He slid his aviators over his eyes as he walked down the steps. He checked his watch; Padmé would be here any minute now.

Suddenly, Anakin could hear a car pulling up. He looked and saw the car stop next to him. The back door opened and Anakin felt his jaw drop.

Padmé exited the back of the car wearing a pair of skinny jeans, a green shirt with a cut neckline that showed her left shoulder, and her hair was flowing freely behind her.

“Hey, Anakin,” Padmé greeted.

Anakin stood dumbfounded on the spot. “Uh, h-hi, Padmé.” He stopped and said, “You look…you look… _amazing_.”

Padmé smiled. “Thank you. You look great as well,” she said.

“Thanks,” Anakin replied. He rubbed his neck and asked, “Well, are you ready?”

Padmé nodded. “Yes, I am.”

Smiling, Anakin led her to his truck and they climbed in. He pulled out and headed down the street. As he drove, he would make side glances to Padmé. She looked incredible when she wasn’t dressed in her usual dresses; and the jeans hugged her in _all_ the right places.

 _“Easy, boy,”_ Anakin thought.

When he was concentrating on the road, Padmé would take quick looks at Anakin. The tank top showed off a good amount of Anakin’s muscular body, and his long, untidy hair was another added plus to his already handsome and roguish appearance.

 _“Calm yourself, girl,”_ Padmé thought.

Anakin drove them through Lower Coruscant until they made it out to the countryside. He drove down dirt roads and passed cornfields until a large farm appeared. Cars and other vehicles were spread all over.

“Here we are,” Anakin said. He parked the truck towards the back of the farm and the two climbed out. Padmé looked as she saw Anakin grab a few blankets from the truck bed.

“I have a good spot to watch,” Anakin said. He and Padmé walked through the parked vehicles until they reached where everyone else was gathered. Anakin led Padmé to a small, isolated hill nearby where a tree stood. Anakin laid the blankets down.

They sat down on the blankets and looked ahead; at the center of all of the other attendees were a couple of young men attending to the fireworks.

“The Wrights always put on one Helluva show,” Anakin said. “You’re in for a real treat.”

Padmé smiled. “Well, no matter what, I feel it’s better with you.” She scooted closer to Anakin.

Anakin looked down at Padmé and smiled. “The feeling’s mutual, Padmé.” He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer, which she gladly allowed.

Suddenly, they heard a loud whistle and there was a massive boom; the sky was filled with red and blue flashes of light. The attendees started cheering.

Anakin smiled as he looked down at Padmé. Her face was illuminated by the flashes from the fireworks and he could hear Madsen’s earlier advice clicking.

“I don’t think I’ve ever conveyed to you just how beautiful you are,” Anakin said.

Padmé turned to Anakin and through the flashes of color, he could see her blush. He smiled and kept going. “I still remember when I had first met you. I’m not much of a church guy, but I could’ve sworn that an angel had descended to Earth, and somehow, I got lucky enough to be with you.”

Smiling more, Padmé decided to play along. “It wasn’t luck, Anakin,” she said. “I was drawn to you in much of the same way you were to me. You’re deeply caring and compassionate…” she trailed off as she ghosted her finger along Anakin’s chin “…and not to mention devilishly handsome.”

The two scooted closer together. Anakin chuckled and said, “And to think, your uncle thinks I’m a bad influence.”

Padmé gave him a look. _“Oh yes, you are the worst,”_ she whispered as she leaned closer.

Anakin smirked. _“Terrible.”_

Their lips met; Padmé’s hands caressed Anakin’s face while his hands snaked around her hip and back. Anakin pulled away briefly and looked into Padmé’s eyes. “Padmé, I-”

“I know,” Padmé said. She pushed Anakin onto his back, her legs straddling him; the neckline of her shirt slipped down further. “And I want to.”

Anakin smiled as Padmé leaned down again and their lips met; it was lucky the fireworks and attendees were loud enough.

Ahsoka yawned as she awoke and headed into the kitchen. She opened the fridge and grabbed the jug of orange juice. She poured a glass and turned around, looking down at the ground in confusion; she saw a pair of white Converse shoes, and they weren’t hers or Anakin’s.

Ahsoka looked up when she heard something come from Anakin’s room. She crossed over and opened the door to peer inside. Lying in the bed was Anakin, fast asleep; and lying in his arms, Padmé.

Chuckling quietly, Ahsoka slowly closed the door on the two slumbering lovebirds.


	11. Backdraft

Anakin’s eyes slowly opened as the morning sun peaked through the curtains. He groaned as the sun hit his eyes, stopping when he noticed Padmé sleeping peacefully next to him. He smiled and relaxed back into the bed; the sun wasn’t _that_ big of a deal.

Anakin lied in bed with Padmé for another half an hour before she stirred awake. Her eyes slowly opened and she smiled when she looked at Anakin.

 _“Morning,”_ she said softly.

Anakin chuckled. “Good morning to you. Sleep well?”

Padmé nodded. “Easy to fall asleep when someone’s in your arms.”

Anakin laughed again as he held Padmé closer. They quietly lied in each other’s arms, the silence only broken by a loud rapping at the door.

 _“Hey lovebirds!”_ Ahsoka called out. _“Time to get up! Anakin, we’ve got work!”_

Anakin groaned and Padmé giggled. “Alright! We’ll be out in a minute!” He rolled his eyes as Padmé continued to laugh. He sighed and asked, “She’s something else, isn’t she?”

It took nearly five minutes for Anakin and Padmé to get out of bed. They quickly got dressed and walked out to sit with Ahsoka at the table. She chuckled when she saw Padmé.

“Good morning, Padmé,” Ahsoka greeted. “By the way, we had two noise complaints logged here last night. You might want to sort that all out with Mister Feldman.”

Anakin and Padmé blushed. “That’s’ going to be hard to explain,” Anakin said.

Ahsoka laughed as the three ate breakfast. When they finished, Padmé walked to the window and saw Amanda pull in.

“Amanda’s here,” she said. She walked back to the table. “She’ll bring me back to my uncle’s. I can talk my way out of whatever questions he has.”

Anakin nodded. “Okay.” He got up and the two walked down the stairs to the front. They walked to the car and Anakin opened the door for Padmé. She sat down and looked up at Anakin.

“I had a fantastic time with you, Anakin,” Padmé said.

“I did too,” Anakin replied. “I’ll see you around?”

Padmé nodded. “Of course.” They leaned in and kissed once more, only being interrupted by Amanda honking.

“Alright, alright,” she said slyly. “Let’s get going, Padmé.”

Anakin and Padmé laughed as they pulled away. “Fine.” She looked back up to Anakin and said, “Bye, Anakin.”

“Goodbye,” Anakin said. He closed the door and waved as Amanda pulled away. He smiled as the car drove down the street and out of sight. He turned and walked back into the building, heading back up to the apartment. When he got in the hallway, old Miss Agnes walked out.

“You had better keep it down in there!” she yelled.

Anakin rolled his eyes. “You’re just jealous.”

The old woman made a noise of disgust and walked back into her apartment. Anakin laughed as he headed back in.

“I don’t know how you do what you do and still manage to show up for work,” Ahsoka said.

Anakin shrugged. “It’s a mystery, dear sister.”

* * *

Padmé arrived back at her uncle’s house and walked up the driveway. She opened the door and headed inside, quickly making her way up the stairs to her room. She walked in and quickly changed into a simple blue dress. Quickly brushing her hair, Padmé finished up and headed downstairs. She headed into the living room, where she found her uncle sitting in his armchair with an open newspaper, and Rush was sitting on the couch.

“Oh, there you are, Padmé,” Rush said. “We were so worried about you.”

Padmé gave him a look. “Why? I was at Rea Park last night and I went home with Amanda.”

Palpatine chuckled. “He’s only concerned for your well-being, my dear,” he said.

Rolling her eyes, Padmé said, “Well, as you can see, I am perfectly fine.”

Palpatine nodded. “Yes, and since you’re such a social butterfly, then you won’t mind attending the party at the country club tonight?”

Padmé looked apprehensively between her uncle and Rush. “Oh, I don’t know,” she said.

“Oh, come now, Padmé,” Rush said. “Are your friends really that entertaining?”

“Yes, they are,” Padmé replied.

“Well then, luckily some of them will be attending tonight,” Palpatine said. “And besides my dear, you _will_ be attending.”

Padmé wanted to argue back, but she knew there would be no use. She sighed and said, “Very well, uncle.”

“Perfect,” Palpatine said with a smile. “Well, come along now, and let’s head up. I want to oversee the final preparations.” He headed out of the living room and to the door, Rush following close behind. Padmé sighed knowing she’d be bored out of her mind. Nonetheless, she followed the two out of the house.

* * *

Anakin and Hendricks were returning to the caddy house after laying mulch in the gardens. Their clothes were stained all over with dirt and they were exhausted. Anakin walked to the water cooler and filled a paper cup, proceeding to pour it over himself.

“Jesus, I swear I just got baked out there,” Hendricks groaned. “And not the good kind.”

Anakin laughed. “I know man. It just keeps getting hotter and hotter.”

“Speaking of hotter, I noticed you and Padmé in a hurry to leave last night during the show,” Hendricks said.

Anakin smiled. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Hendricks chuckled. “Oh, you know damn well. So, how was it?”

Smiling wider, Anakin replied, “I don’t think words can do justice. It was just…incredible.”

Hendricks laughed and slapped his hand on Anakin’s back. “Attaboy, Skywalker.” He laughed even more as he wiped off his hands.

Anakin grabbed another cup of water and downed it instantly. He threw the cup away just as Eric walked out.

“Hendricks, Skywalker, you’ve got golfers,” he said. “Skywalker, Mister Kenobi wants you at the first tee. Hendricks, you have Mister Greene immediately after him.”

Anakin nodded as he headed to the shed and then out to the first tee box to meet Obi-Wan. The older man smiled as Anakin approached and asked, “Anakin, how’ve you been?”

Smiling, Anakin replied, “I’ve been great, Obi-Wan.”

“There’s certainly a change in mood since we last spoke,” Obi-Wan said as he teed up. He hit his ball and allowed Anakin to go.

“Well, let’s just say things have finally started looking up for me,” Anakin said. He set up his tee shot and swung; his ball landed twenty yards off the green.

“Oh?” Obi-Wan asked. “How so?” the two collected their bags and started walking.

“Well, I was able to figure out a situation with Padmé and I,” Anakin explained.

Obi-Wan nodded in understanding. “And what exactly is that?”

“I’ve just been seeing her in secret,” Anakin said. “Her friends grab her from his house, then I pick her up and show her a good time, then they just bring her back.”

The pair reached their shots and Anakin grabbed his seven iron. He made a putting motion with the club, bumping his ball along the grass and onto the green, stopping it just within two feet of the hole.

“Are you at all worried about Palpatine finding out?” Obi-Wan asked as he pitched his ball up, also sticking it within two feet of the hole.

“It hangs over both of our heads constantly,” Anakin said as he grabbed his putter. He lined up his ball and stroked, sinking it for Birdie.

Obi-Wan nodded as he reached his ball and putted, also scoring a Birdie. “Well, he might already be a little suspicious. I overheard him talking with young Mister Clovis about Padmé attending some party tonight. Apparently, he wants Rush and her to finally ‘connect’.”

Anakin laughed as they reached the next tee. “Like Hell that’ll happen.” He teed up and asked, “So, I’m assuming you’re attending Palpatine’s little party tonight?”

Obi-Wan shook his head. “No. Palpatine has grown even more annoyed with me and I didn’t receive an invite,” he said with a chuckle.

Anakin laughed before hitting his drive down the fairway. “Gee, one can only wonder.”

Obi-Wan smiled as he teed up and hit his ball. “It must be my humorous demeanor,” he said. The two laughed loudly as they made their way to their shots.

* * *

Padmé stifled another yawn. It was about eight o’clock and she was mingling around the party area. The ballroom was filled with Palpatine’s friends and other associates; they were joined by Rush and _his_ friends. Throughout the room, there was not one single person Padmé could talk to. Palpatine had lied about her friends attending.

“Padmé, my dear,” Palpatine suddenly said. Padmé looked up and saw her uncle beckon her forward. She hid a sigh and walked to her uncle. Palpatine brought her forward and said, “You remember Judge Sanders, right?”

Padmé smiled as she shook the older man’s hand. “I don’t believe we’ve ever met,” she said.

“I certainly hope not,” Sanders commented. He and Palpatine laughed, which Padmé joined in with as she slipped away. She turned around and rolled her eyes, heading over to the bar.

“Martini, please,” she said to the bartender. The young man nodded and fixed her drink, placing it in front of her. She nodded thanks and took a sip, leaning back to observe the boring scene before her.

…

Anakin walked through the parking lot of the country club, making his way passed the front entrance and towards the back. He quietly opened the backdoor and made his way inside, walking around a little before finding himself in the kitchen. Luckily, none of the kitchen staff seemed to mind him being there.

Ahsoka was readying another tray of appetizers when Anakin walked in. “Hey, sis,” he greeted as he hopped to sit on the counter. He grabbed one of the appetizers and popped it in his mouth.

“Dammit, Anakin,” she groaned as she repositioned a few to hide that one was missing. “What are you doing here?”

Anakin swallowed and said, “Well, Obi-Wan said there was a party tonight and I figured Padmé would be here, so I decided to crash and see her.”

Ahsoka smiled. “Well, good luck getting out there. You’ll stick out like a sore thumb.”

“That’s what you’re here for,” Anakin said. “Just tell her I’m in Palpatine’s office.”

“I’m working,” Ahsoka said. “Why should I help you?”

“I gave you Barriss’s number,” Anakin said.

Ahsoka sighed. “Fine. I’ll direct her to you.”

Anakin smiled. “Excellent. Thank you.” He hopped off and patted her on the back; she sighed and rolled her eyes.

…

Padmé finished her drink as she continued looking out to the attendees. Suddenly, she felt someone tap on her shoulder.

“Padmé?”

Padmé turned around and smiled upon seeing Ahsoka. “Ahsoka,” she said relieved. “Thank God you’re here.”

Ahsoka chuckled. “What? Not your crowd?”

Padmé rolled her eyes. “Oh no, it’s exactly where I want to be.”

Laughing again, Ahsoka said, “Well, I have a way to make your night more interesting.” She took Padmé’s empty glass and added, “Check your three o’clock.”

Padmé looked to her right and saw Anakin’s head poking out from around a corner. He tilted his head back and retreated.

“Your uncle’s office,” Ahsoka said.

Padmé smiled and turned back to Ahsoka. “Thank you,” she said. She turned and walked away from the boring party and out of the ballroom, heading down the winding halls to her uncle’s office. She entered, laughing when she saw Anakin lounging on the small couch.

“Must be some party out there,” Anakin said.

Padmé rolled her eyes. “Boring beyond all Hell.”

Anakin laughed as he got up and walked towards Padmé. “You look absolutely beautiful when you’re dressed like this.”

Padmé smiled as she looked down at her white dress. The two reached each other and embraced, their lips meeting. Anakin pulled away and said, “Well, I did some poking around here.” He walked over and turned on a record player, playing some classical music. “His music taste isn’t exactly the greatest.”

Padmé laughed as Anakin reached for a bottle on the shelf. He whistled and said, “But damn, his liquor taste is on point.” He grabbed the two glasses off the shelf and poured into each one. He grabbed the glasses and handed one of Padmé.

She smiled as she accepted the glass and they sat back down on the couch. They chuckled as they clinked their glasses and sipped. Padmé laughed again and said, “This feels so…rebellious.”

Anakin smirked. “Hey now, don’t let your uncle hear that. He hates rebellion.”

Padmé leaned into Anakin’s shoulder and laughed again. “I love you,” she said into his ear.

Smiling, Anakin said, “I love you too.” They drank again before they turned their faces to each other, their lips meeting once more.

Palpatine and his group all laughed once more at the close of another one of Sanders’ stories. He collected himself and said, “I swear, I slapped the injunction on him so fast he spun in place.”

Finishing his drink, Palpatine looked around and asked, “Now where did my niece go? She’s missing the life of the party?”

Rush shrugged. “I’m not sure. It seems she has disappeared.”

Palpatine chuckled. “Most likely not,” he said. He turned to the group of men and said, “Well gentlemen, how about you accompany me to my office. I’ll bust out my cigar box and my fine whiskey.” The men all laughed as they followed Palpatine out of the ballroom and towards his office.

Padmé was straddled on Anakin’s lap, giggling as the two kissed. Anakin’s hands smoothed over Padmé’s back while she wrapped her hands around Anakin’s neck, pulling him closer to her body. She pulled away briefly, setting her forehead against Anakin’s. He laughed when he saw the mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

“Are you seriously considering doing this in here?” he asked.

“Would you stop me?” Padmé asked.

Anakin chuckled. “And your uncle says _I’m_ the bad influence.”

Padmé giggled again as they leaned in for another kiss. However, they froze when they heard the door open. Padmé scrambled off of Anakin and he quickly got up, but it was too late. Palpatine, Rush, and their group walked in.

“Padmé?” Palpatine asked as he looked over her; her dress was wrinkled, her hair was a little messy, and her lipstick was a little smudged. His gaze shifted over to Anakin and he glared.

“You!” he hissed. He pointed at Anakin, trying his hardest to yell _something_ , but he was stumbling over his words. “You…” He looked over to the side of his office and grabbed a golf club.

“Uncle, no,” Padmé said.

Anakin raised his hands and said, “Councilman Palpatine, I-”

Palpatine shouted as he rushed Anakin and swung his club. Anakin ducked and ran around the room, avoiding more swings from the club that would connect with the wall or some other ornament in the room. Through all of the destruction, Padmé was pleading with him.

“Uncle, stop! Please!” she begged.

“You!” Palpatine shouted again. He swung once more, narrowly hitting Anakin again. Anakin turned around and quickly opened the window and hopped out, landing in the mulch. He scrambled to his feet and took off running towards the gate.

…

Padmé was trying her best to catch her breath from what she had witnessed. She felt a tear spill and fall when she said, “Uncle, how could y-”

“How could I?!” he asked loudly. “How could _you_?! I told you never to be with him!”

He tossed his club away and said tersely, “Come on, we’re leaving!”

Knowing she couldn’t say anything, Padmé quietly followed Palpatine out of the office. She looked up and saw Ahsoka looking on. She gave her a look of sympathy as she followed her angered uncle.

* * *

Anakin hardly slept that night. His worry for Padmé kept him up all night, as well as the adrenaline from almost getting the crap beat out of him by Palpatine. Now, it was morning, and he wanted nothing more than to see Padmé and check if she was alright, but there was no way he’d be heading to Palpatine’s house.

Anakin walked out of his room, he and Ahsoka getting ready for work. They climbed into his truck and he started it up. As he drove, they were both silent.

“So, what exactly happened last night?” Ahsoka asked.

Anakin sighed. “Palpatine walked in on Padmé and me.”

Ahsoka’s eyes widened. “I feel like more than that happened.”

“Well, he tried to hit me with a golf club,” Anakin said.

“Damn,” Ahsoka said quietly. “Do you think she’s alright?”

Anakin nodded. “She’s fine. She’s gotta be.” He remained quiet once more as he entered the country club. Once more he parked at the back and Ahsoka got out. Anakin walked to the caddy house, where he noticed all of the other caddies were gathered.

“Hey,” Anakin greeted. “What’s going on?”

Hendricks turned to him. “Eric says that Palpatine wanted us all gathered.”

 _“Oh no,”_ Anakin thought.

Suddenly, they all quieted down as Palpatine strolled in front of them. His face showed indifference as he looked over the caddies.

“Good morning,” Palpatine greeted. “You all must be wondering why I had Eric gather you here today.” His smile was unsettling as he said, “Well, let me clear it up for you: you’re fired, all of you!”

The reaction was instantaneous; the caddies began yelling about “fairness” and “no right”, while others were simply yelling obscenities at him.

“What’s this bullshit?!” Hendricks yelled.

“Recent events have proven that you caddies aren’t compatible with the atmosphere that’s called for at Coruscant Country Club,” Palpatine said. “The recent complaints against you are more than enough.”

“What complaints?!” Myers shouted. “Eric hasn’t told us shit!”

Palpatine smirked. “Why don’t you ask your friend, Skywalker?” He laughed and yelled, “I want you gone in ten minutes!” With that, he walked away.

Anakin stood still as eyes stared at him. “What’s he talking about, Anakin?” Benson asked.

Anakin sighed and answered, “The dear Councilman didn’t want me with his niece. I didn’t heed his advice.”

The caddies all rolled their eyes and groaned. “Dammit, Anakin!” one caddy, Daniels yelled.

“You couldn’t just keep it in your pants?!” Benson asked.

“Hey, get off my ass!” Anakin yelled.

“Get off your ass?!” Myers asked. “We just lost our fucking jobs!”

Madsen stepped in and yelled, “Hey, hey! Shut it, all of you!” Once everyone quieted down he said, “This ain’t going to solve anything.”

“Shit isn’t going to solve anything!” Chris shot back. “Screw this, I’ll see you assholes around.”

The rest of the caddies all waved their hands and began walking away. Madsen stayed behind and gave Anakin a look of sympathy. “I-I’ll see you around, Anakin.” He turned and headed to his car.

Anakin sighed. He looked down to the ground and kicked up the dirt below him. He removed his ‘Triple C’ hat and threw it against the caddy house. Anger boiling inside, Anakin walked over to his car and climbed in. He slammed the door and started up his truck. He peeled out of the lot and drove out and away from the club.


	12. Discussions

Anakin stood alone behind the bar at _Gianni’s_. It was a quiet Wednesday evening, and the restaurant had just closed. This gave Anakin a quiet place to think over things.

It had only been six days since Anakin had been fired. He was able to quickly get a job working at _Gianni’s_ , tending to the bar. It was alright; the pay was decent, and he got to see good friends and other friendly faces throughout the neighborhood.

But there was one thing missing.

Padmé

Anakin sighed. He missed her so much. However, he knew any attempt to see her would only end badly. The best-case scenario would be Palpatine shouting him off the property; the worst that Anakin considered was having the cops called on him for “trespass” and “harassment”.

As Anakin started wiping down some glasses, Gianni walked out. “Hey Anakin, you think you could lock up?” he asked.

“Sure thing,” Anakin replied. He looked up and saw Gianni looking at him with concern.

“Are you alright?” he asked.

Anakin sighed again. “Just a little down-spirited,” he replied.

Gianni nodded. He pointed behind Anakin and said, “Grab the Dolcetto.”

Anakin turned around and grabbed the bottle. Gianni picked up two glasses and took the bottle, pouring some into the glasses, and raised one to him. _“Alla vostra salute.”_ Anakin tipped the glass and took a sip.

Gianni lowered his glass and asked, “So, what’s troubling you?”

Anakin took another sip before replying, “Well, you know that I got fired from the club?”

“Yes,” Gianni said with a nod.

Anakin paused for a moment. “Right. Do you know _why_ I got fired?” He saw Gianni shake his head and he said, “My relationship with Padmé Amidala.”

Gianni’s brow furrowed. “What?” He looked away in confusion and bewilderment. “Why?”

“Padmé’s uncle is Councilman Sheev Palpatine, the owner of the club,” Anakin replied. “He doesn’t think that his niece should be mixed with lower-class dregs like me.”

Gianni shook his head in disgust. _“Bastardo,”_ he grumbled. “Unbelievable that a man like Palpatine can look passed a good-looking, hard-working, caring young man like yourself, and can only see where you live, how much money is in your wallet, and what kind of car you drive.”

Anakin nodded. “Padmé was able to look passed all of that. She saw me for who I truly was.” He paused for a moment and said, “I loved her. I still do, even though I am barred from seeing her.”

Gianni sighed as he finished his wine. “Worry not, my boy.” He patted Anakin’s shoulder and said, “Things will work out, I promise.”

Anakin nodded. “Thanks, Gianni.”

Gianni tipped his hat and said, “Goodnight, my boy.” He turned and walked to the door, heading outside.

Anakin sighed (again) as he finished his wine and grabbed both of the dirty glasses. He washed them out and began wiping them dry. He turned around to place them on the rack when he heard the bell ring.

“Sorry, but we’re closed,” Anakin said.

“Hey, Anakin.”

Anakin turned around and his eyes widened. Walking into the restaurant were all of the caddies; Benson, Hendricks, Madsen, Chris, Myers, and Daniels.

Anakin raised his hands a little and said, “Uh listen, guys, I’m sorry that my actions got us all fired. Please, I don’t want any trouble.”

“We don’t blame you, Anakin,” Myers said.

Daniels nodded. “Yeah. We were just pissed is all.”

“Yeah, but it was still my relationship with Padmé that jeopardized _all_ of our jobs,” Anakin said.

Chris stepped forward. “Anakin, you bedding the owner’s niece behind his back is quite possibly the funniest shit any of us have ever heard.”

Madsen laughed. “What he said.” He walked over and said, “We swung by to apologize for being too hard on you, and we have some…business to discuss.”

“What do you mean?” Anakin asked.

“Hop from behind the bar, let’s sit,” Daniels said.

Anakin shook his head. “I’ve gotta close down for Gianni.”

Madsen laughed. “Gianni knows we’re here. Come on, and grab some beers.”

Anakin shrugged as he grabbed two six-packs and followed the former caddies to a large table. He retrieved a bottle from the packs and slid one to each of them.

“So, what exactly are we here to discuss?” Anakin asked as he opened his beer.

Madsen took a sip and leaned forward. “Alright, we’ve been discussing that old bastard, Palpatine.”

Daniels nodded. “Yes, we don’t blame you for him firing us, but we feel that we all shouldn’t be fired for the mistakes and actions of one guy.” He took a drink and added, “And we also talked about how we were treated by Palpatine.”

“And it’s not just Palpatine,” Benson said. “Clovis, his cronies, almost all of the other members; all those pompous assholes that view us as no better than the dirt beneath their feet.”

Anakin took a drink and asked, “So what? Are we just going to sit around, drink beer, and complain about the rich assholes of the club?”

“No,” Hendricks answered. “We’re going to sit around and discuss how to get back at these bastards.”

Anakin stopped drinking and asked, “What?”

Benson nodded. “You heard right, Anakin. We need to get back at these assholes.”

Nodding, Anakin said, “Alright, I can easily get behind this.” He looked around at the smiling faces of the other caddies. “So, what’s the plan?”

Hendricks paused and replied, “I have no idea.”

Anakin listened in as each one of the caddies pitched an idea; they ranged from the simple and inconvenient to outright “evil” as Anakin described. Finally, Madsen held his hand.

“Guys, guys,” he said. Once the group quieted down, Madsen spoke. “Okay, some great ideas are being pitched, but how will we accomplish all of this?”

The group paused and thought once more. Suddenly, Anakin smiled and chuckled. “I have an idea.”

“Let’s hear it,” Chris said.

Anakin smirked. “It’s someone who can help us.” He got up and said, “Give me a few minutes, I gotta make a call.”

* * *

Padmé had cried for nearly two days after her uncle caught her and Anakin. When they had gotten home, he of course berated her for going behind his back and “betraying him like this”. She did her fair share of yelling as well, but her shouts fell on deaf ears.

Padmé was sitting on the outside porch of the country club. Her uncle was hosting another party for some associate’s anniversary and Padmé blatantly refused to be in the same room. So she snuck away from the party at the first chance.

Padmé looked out at the darkened golf course. Immediately, she thought of the various late nights she spent with Anakin, learning the game from him. She remembered how those somewhat-serious lessons quickly turned to nothing but flirtatious banter and laughter between them.

“Hey, Padmé.”

Padmé looked up and smiled a little when she saw Ahsoka walk out. The younger girl gave her a sympathetic smile as she sat down next to her.

“How are you doing?” Padmé asked.

Ahsoka sighed. “Fine, I guess.” She looked up and added, “Anakin’s fine, too.”

Padmé nodded. “That’s good.” She paused a moment and asked, “How’s he been doing?”

“He’s been getting by,” Ahsoka said. “He misses you a lot.”

“I do too,” Padmé said. She balled her hand into a fist and said, “My uncle is such an… _asshole_!”

Ahsoka chuckled. “I’ve gathered that from the other kitchen staff. He’s a real piece of work.”

Padmé sighed again. “I just don’t know what I can do. We’ve only known each other for about a month and a half, and yet, I feel that Anakin and I were meant for each other.” She looked at Ahsoka and laughed lightly. “Sorry if I’m sounding like a cheesy romance movie.”

“No,” Ahsoka said with a smile. “You should hear him when he talks about you. You’re the light of his life, Padmé. After meeting you, he had a much better reason to get up in the morning; he got excited about toiling all day outside under the hot sun if it meant seeing you again.”

Ahsoka smiled as she looked away. “Anakin has always been a caring person, and he has always been there for people in need. Amazingly, Palpatine can’t seem to grasp one’s social standing isn’t all that matters.”

Padmé laughed. “Even then, if that’s all that my uncle judges on, then Anakin has him and Rush beat. I’ve met his friends and the people who call him a friend. They’re with Anakin because he’s a fun and good-natured person.”

Ahsoka nodded. “I couldn’t have said it better myself.” She sighed and said, “Well, I’d better get back in before your uncle finds a reason to fire _me_.” She got up and hugged Padmé. “Don’t worry, Padmé. I’m sure things will work out. Just give it time.”

Padmé nodded and said, “Thank you, Ahsoka. I’ll see you around.”

Ahsoka smiled as she turned and walked back inside. Padmé remained on the porch, quietly sitting alone with her thoughts.

* * *

Anakin and the rest of the caddies had left _Gianni’s_ and they were now driving together through Lower Coruscant. Anakin had called up their “help” and they were now heading to his place to meet him.

The cars stopped outside a small house nestled between a couple of buildings. The caddies all exited and headed to the door.

“Are you sure he’ll want to help us?” Daniels asked.

“Absolutely,” Anakin replied. “This sort of thing is right up his alley.”

“Maybe,” Benson said, “but he may not care enough to head back there.”

The group continued talking when they approached the door. Anakin knocked three times and they waited. They could hear footsteps on the other side and a moment later, the door opened.

“What’s up, guys?" Quinlan greeted.

“Quinlan!” the group collectively exclaimed. Quinlan smiled as he waved them in. The group headed inside and they crowded into the small living room

“So boys, what can I do you for?” Quinlan asked.

Daniel stepped forward and said, “We’ve got a problem, man.” He pointed to the group. “We were all fired by Palpatine as retaliation for Anakin’s relationship with his niece.”

Quinlan’s eyes widened briefly. “Ouch. Now that’s harsh, man.”

Madsen stepped ahead. “Yeah. We had gathered at _Gianni’s_ to discuss our options, and we want to get some payback against Palpatine and all of his asshole pals.”

Quinlan nodded. “I hear you.”

It was Anakin’s turn to speak. “We came here Quinlan because we wanted to ask for your help.”

Quinlan slowly nodded. “I can see why you’d ask for my help, and I appreciate you guys dropping by, but I don’t think I can.”

“What?” the group collectively asked.

Quinlan shrugged. “I’m sorry, guys. But I just can’t go out and pull off all the shit I used to do.” He stopped and said, “My new boss is up my ass about tardiness, constant drug testing.” He sighed. “I’m sorry, but I can’t help.”

Anakin looked over to the rest of the group; they were all as dumbfounded as he was. He turned and got up. “Quinlan, what the Hell happened?”

Quinlan sighed. “Reality hit, man. My job at Coruscant was just me slacking off and not taking anything seriously. I was going nowhere, and when you crashed the cart that night, I saw it as a way out.”

Anakin looked away in disbelief before turning back to Quinlan. “Quinlan, you remember that night we smoked a couple of joints and you told me about your old man?”

Quinlan nodded and Anakin continued. “You told me that your father snuck behind enemy lines to save several soldiers and destroy an entire ammo depot. You said that he did it even though he felt that it was a suicide mission, and it made no sense for him to do it.”

Quinlan looked at Anakin and asked, “What does this have to do with what you guys are planning?”

“Everything, man,” Anakin said. He placed his hand on Quinlan’s shoulder and added, “What I’m trying to get at is that we need you, just like those soldiers needed your old man. And Coruscant Country Club is that ammo depot.”

Quinlan stood quietly for a moment. He looked at Anakin and the rest of the group; they stared at him intently. Finally, Quinlan moved as he walked over and grabbed the phone. He dialed a number and placed it to his ear.

“Hey Josh,” Quinlan said as the other end picked up. “It’s me, Quinlan. Listen, I won’t be coming into work tomorrow, or the next day, or the day after.” He stopped to listen before saying, “Why? ‘Cause fuck you, that’s why.” He hung up the phone. The group all cheered and Quinlan walked back to them.

“Alright, boys, where do we start?”


	13. Payback

Night fell and the caddies were gathered inside of Quinlan’s house. Hendricks, Daniels, Myers, and Benson were dressed in dark-colored clothes; Anakin, Quinlan, Chris, and Madsen were wearing ghillie suits. Anakin was looking at a piece of paper.

“Alright, Daniels, Myers, you have the hot chocolate mix?” he asked; the two raised their massive burlap sacks in their arms.

Anakin nodded. “Good. Hendricks, Benson, you’ve got the fireworks?” The other two raised the small boxes in their arms.

“We’ve got firecrackers, Roman Candles, the whole nine yards,” Benson said.

Laughing, Anakin looked to the three ghillie-suited men. “Quinlan, Madsen, Chris, and I have the BB guns and paintball guns.” They raised their rifles and chuckled.

Anakin nodded. “Alright, here’s the plan: you four will drive us to the club and we’ll find our hiding spots in the wooded areas of the course. While we find our hiding spots, Daniels and Myers will pour the hot chocolate mix into the pool. Hendricks and Benson will hide out in other areas of the course and light-up on my signal.”

Quinlan laughed. “This is excellent, man. This calls for something special.” He walked out and returned with a pot full of some steaming red liquid; the group all recoiled at the smell.

“Quinlan, what in the Hell is that?” Daniels asked as he covered his mouth and nose.

“Homemade LSD,” Quinlan answered.

The group all groaned and backed away. “Holy shit, Quinlan. That smells gnarly,” Myers said behind his hand.

Quinlan laughed again. “Ah, come on. Who wants to take a hit?”

The entire group collectively shook their heads. “No way, man,” Hendricks said.

“Nope,” Benson replied.

Anakin coughed. “Is that shit even safe for animal consumption?”

“We’re gonna find out,” Quinlan said. He set the pot down and grabbed a dropper; he squeezed and retrieved a generous amount from the pot. He tilted his head back and squeezed again, depositing the liquid into his mouth. He swallowed and smiled at the others.

“Okay, boys,” Quinlan said wickedly, “let’s get nasty.”

…

Daniels and Myers drove towards the club, the rest of the guys crowded in the back of their trucks. They arrived outside the gates of the club and Quinlan hopped out, picking the lock and opening them. He climbed back into the bed of Daniels’s truck.

 _“You still have the keys for the gate?”_ Anakin asked.

Quinlan nodded. _“Oh yeah. I only gave you the shed key.”_

Anakin and the others laughed quietly as the trucks pulled in and drove up towards the club. The vehicles stopped and the group poured out from the vehicles.

 _“Daniels, Myers, make your way to the pool,”_ Anakin said quietly.

The two men nodded and grabbed the bags from the back of Myers’s truck. They hurried to the pool and unlatched the gate. They made their way to the edge of the pool and dumped the bags next to them.

 _“Let’s do this_ ,” Daniels said. They each grabbed a bag and ripped them open; they dumped the contents into the pool. The powder slowly swirled into the pool as they emptied the bags. The two cackled as they ripped open and poured the remaining bags. Daniels grabbed the pool skimmer and plunged it into the water, stirring it around to evenly distribute the mix.

 _“This is the greatest night of my life,”_ Daniels said.

Myers was trying his best to control his laughter as he finished emptying the last bag. He collected the bags and said, _“Alright, the mix is in. Let’s split.”_

Daniels placed the skimmer back on the rack and he followed Myers out. They reached their trucks and climbed in.

 _“Shit’s gonna hit the fan tomorrow,”_ Myers said with a laugh.

Daniels grabbed his walkie-talkie and turned it on. _“Skyguy, dirt is in the pond.”_ He and Myers pulled out of the country club, making sure to close and relock the gate on their way out.

…

Benson and Hendricks were setting up the fireworks across parts of the golf course. While Benson placed each one in a hole in the ground, behind bushes, or hidden near tee boxes, Hendricks was rigging up simple fuses for all of the fireworks.

 _“Hey, hurry it up!”_ Benson hissed.

 _“Shut up!”_ Hendricks replied. _“This isn’t exactly a job you want to hurry.”_ He tied the last one and said, _“Alright, we’re good to go.”_

Benson nodded and the pair began unraveling a long blast cord towards the woods. Once they reached the woods, they hooked up the cord to a plunger detonator. They moved it behind a thick bush and they lied on the ground.

Hendricks retrieved his walkie-talkie and radioed in. _“Powder kegs are set, boys.”_

_“Good,” Anakin replied. “All teams, go quiet. We’ll camp out here until morning. Sun will be up in a few hours, and tomorrow, we are raising Hell.”_

* * *

Morning came and Palpatine’s car arrived at the club. Immediately, he found some of the workers gathered around the pool. He stopped his car and got out, Padmé following close behind. He walked briskly towards the workers, where he stopped and his eyes widened when he saw the pool: the water was no longer a clear blue, but a murky brown.

“What in God’s name happened in here?!” he shouted.

One of the workers shrugged and answered, “I don’t know, sir. We think that there was a septic leak into the pool.”

“How could this happen?!” Palpatine bellowed. He didn’t give the worker time to explain when he yelled, “I don’t care! I want this pool drained, scrubbed, sterilized, and disinfected!”

“Yes sir!” the employee said.

Palpatine huffed and walked out of the pool area. He headed inside the club and walked to the changing room. He changed into his golf clothes and walked out, where he met Rush and a couple of his friends.

“What’s going on at the pool?” Rush asked.

Palpatine angrily replied, “Apparently a septic leak. I’ll be having a word with the plumbing company I hired.” He picked up his clubs from his locker and the group walked out. They placed their bags on some pushcarts that Palpatine had purchased for the club and headed out, Padmé in tow.

…

Anakin and Quinlan had been camped out in the wooded area near Hole 13 for several hours. When the sun rose, they took their positions in the trees; their suits, while unbearably hot, were able to conceal them.

Anakin grabbed his walkie-talkie and said, “Chris, Madsen, you assholes awake?”

 _“I am,”_ Chris replied. Anakin heard a loud smack and a groan. _“Madsen’s up, too.”_

Laughing, Anakin said, “Alright. Remember, don’t give away your position. If the situation gets too hot, radio Benson or Hendricks.”

The two acknowledged and Anakin and Quinlan readied their BB guns. They looked ahead to the Hole 13 tee box and saw Palpatine and his group approaching. They looked through the scopes and waited for their opportunity to strike.

…

Padmé was beyond bored as she stopped with the group of golfers at the Hole 13 tee box. Rush’s friend, Terry, walked to the tee box; Rush approached Padmé.

“Padmé, why do you look so dejected?” he asked.

Looking at Rush, Padmé replied, “It’s none of your business.”

Rush chuckled and asked, “Still upset about your little caddy?” He laughed again as he walked closer to Padmé. “You know, your uncle is getting impatient with you, and so am I. So, why don’t you just forget about him and-”

Rush suddenly yelled in pain; his hand was clamped over his neck as he jumped. The rest of the group stopped and looked on at Rush shout in pain.

“Rush, what is it?” one of them asked.

Rush grunted in pain as he moved his hand. “It feels like something stung me.”

Terry chuckled. “Well, we _are_ outside. A bee probably-OW!”

Terry yelled in pain and clutched his leg. He lifted his hand and looked down; there was a small red welt on his calf.

“What the Hell?” he asked.

“If you all are done fooling around, we have a round to finish,” Palpatine said impatiently. He teed off and grabbed his cart. Rush and the others followed, rubbing their small wounds; Padmé stifled a laugh as she followed.

Palpatine walked ahead and stopped next to his ball. As he grabbed his club, he yelled in pain and grabbed his hand, then shouted again when something hit his shoulder.

Rush and the others tried backing away but they all yelled when they were hit all over. Finally, Rush said angrily, “Come on, let’s just pick up and head to the next hole.”

Palpatine growled as he grabbed his ball and then his cart. The group headed down the fairway to walk to the next hole.

…

Anakin and Quinlan were cackling to themselves as they lowered their BB guns. The group walked passed and headed towards the next tee box. Anakin reached for his walkie-talkie and radioed Madsen and Chris.

“Chris, Madsen, the group has finished Hole 13. They’ll be at your position in about ten minutes,” Anakin reported.

 _“I hear ya,”_ Madsen replied. _“We’ll color ‘em.”_

Anakin cackled as he and Quinlan high-fived each other. “It feels good to be back,” Quinlan said.

Nodding, Anakin said, “Indeed it does.”

* * *

Chris and Madsen were hiding in the thick woods that stood about twenty yards away from Hole 14’s green. They could see the group approaching the green, where their shots were varying distances around the hole.

“What color have you got?” Chris asked.

Madsen checked and replied, “A nice swampy green. You?”

Chris chuckled. “Shit brown.” The two laughed quietly as the group made it to the green.

Madsen pumped his paintball gun. “Let’s raise Hell.”

…

Palpatine and the others all reached their balls on the green, putters in hand. Rush chuckled as Palpatine walked to his ball.

“So wait, _all_ of them?” he asked.

Palpatine smirked. “Indeed. I thought firing the one would be enough, but I felt that getting rid of them all would send a better message.” He stood next to his ball and added, “Those caddies tarnished the image of the club every day. I’ll be ordering new golf carts by week’s end.” Behind him, Padmé’s arms were crossed and she scowled at her uncle.

Palpatine chuckled again as he lined up his putt. “I think we’ve seen the last of those troublemakers.”

_SPLAT_

There was a loud pop and a split-second later Palpatine’s white pants were suddenly stained with green. He jumped and looked down; his ball was rolling away from him, and almost the entirety of it was covered in green paint.

“Where did that come from?!” Palpatine shouted.

Rush and the others all shrugged and looked around. Suddenly, they heard another pop and Rush yelled in pain again. He looked down and found his front stained with a massive brown spot.

“Look all around!” Palpatine yelled. The group scanned all over the place but couldn’t see anything. One of them had their backs to the bushes.

…

Madsen chuckled. _“Big mistake, my friend,”_ he whispered. He fired two successive shots, striking the other man in the back of the head and right on his ass. He yelled in pain again and turned around; he was looking right into the woods where they were hiding.

 _“Shit!”_ Madsen hissed. _“They’re onto us.”_

Some of the group and Rush began walking slowly towards the woods. Chris grabbed his radio and turned it on.

_“Benson, Hendricks, start the show.”_

Palpatine and Rush were quickly approaching the bushes. Suddenly, they jumped when they heard several pops and bursts. They turned around and Palpatine’s eyes widened when he saw fireworks going off all over. Firecrackers popped, Roman Candles shot and burst in the air, and other fireworks went off everywhere.

Doubled over and laughing, Madsen and Chris ran from their cover and found another spot. They aimed their paintball guns and fired. They struck Palpatine twice in the back, Rush three times in his arms and legs, and the rest of their friends in various spots all over their bodies.

Padmé remained unscathed. She had to use every fiber of her being to keep from laughing at her uncle’s and Rush’s misery.

One last paintball struck Palpatine and he was practically covered. “Come on, let’s go!” he yelled angrily.

Rush and the others quickly collected their carts and ran off the hole, making their way back to the clubhouse. Padmé looked to the fireworks _still_ going off and then back to the woods, a large smile on her face.

…

Chris and Madsen were on the ground, tears stinging their eyes from how hard they were laughing. Madsen collected himself enough to grab his walkie-talkie and radio the others.

“Boys, the rats are scattering,” he said through more laughs.

The radio chatter was filled with more laughter from all the others. _“You think we went overboard on the fireworks?”_ Benson asked.

Quinlan cackled on his end. _“Nope. I’d say that was perfect.”_

* * *

Night had fallen and the group was gathered back at Quinlan’s place. Beer cans were strewn all over and laughter filled the space from the group’s victory.

Anakin cheered with the others before they downed the last of their beers. They crushed the cans against their heads and reached for more. The room filled with the cracking noise from the cans and Anakin spoke up.

“Gentlemen,” he said. “Today was a glorious day for us. Today, we gave those pricks at the club what they deserved.”

The group cheered and raised their cans. Anakin took a sip and said, “Now, we must decide what next we should do. Something to really stick it to them.” He paused and asked, “Any suggestions?”

There was murmuring throughout the group for a few moments before Chris said, “Huge party in the ballroom. LC style.”

There was agreement among the group and they all cheered loudly. Anakin calmed them down and said, “I like it. I like it a lot.”

“We should let the heat of today die down a little,” Madsen suggested. “Don’t want them on alert.”

Anakin nodded. “Agreed,” he said.

Quinlan laughed. “But when the time comes, it’s gonna be LOUD!”

The group all yelled in cheer and they celebrated through the night, hyping themselves for what was to come next.


	14. Walk On the Wild Side

Two days had passed since the ex-caddies had struck at the club. The day after, Palpatine had overseen the repairs of the pool and the course where the fireworks had damaged it. In the time after, he had the local police stationed outside the gates for a few days to deter any intruders, but they were then asked to leave for “producing an uncomfortable environment”.

Palpatine thought the trouble was over.

He was wrong.

It was mid-afternoon and Anakin and the others were now gathered at _Gianni’s_ to go over their plans for their party in the club ballroom.

“Alright, we’ve got kegs, cans, food,” Anakin said as he went down the list. “Gregg’s band is coming, and so far it’s us and about twenty others showing up.”

Daniels laughed as he finished off his beer. “This is going to be the icing on the cake.”

Anakin nodded and looked back to the list. “Where’s Quinlan?”

“Out,” Chris answered. “I think he headed back to his place.”

Anakin sighed. “Can someone make sure that he doesn’t bring anything too horrendous to this party? We’re already ticking ‘trespassing’ off the list of crimes we’re committing. Possession of a virtual chemical weapon won’t do us any good either.”

Madsen laughed. “Oh, come on, Anakin. Let the guy live a little.”

Anakin rolled his eyes. “Fine, but don’t complain when we all need gas masks.”

The group all laughed as they went about their business inside the restaurant. Anakin was looking over the list when Benson asked, “So, when are we starting?”

“Eleven o’clock,” Anakin replied. He set down the list and thought for a moment before asking, “Wait, what’s the date?”

Hendricks checked the calendar and answered, “July 13th.” He looked up at Anakin and asked, “Why?”

Anakin looked back at him and the others and replied, “Today’s Padmé’s birthday.”

The group all nodded in realization. Chris stepped forward and said, “Anakin, I know what you’re thinking, and let me just warn you that you’re playing with fire again.”

The warning fell on deaf ears for Anakin. He smiled and said, “Let’s hurry and get everything set up for tonight. I have a mission later.”

The group collectively sighed but carried on with their tasks. One way or another, this night was going to be something else.

* * *

Padmé stood still towards the back of the room. Palpatine had decided to host Padmé’s birthday at his home, and a lot of people were attending. Then again, it was mostly Palpatine’s friends, and the only company Padmé had was the daughters and sons they brought along.

Padmé rolled her eyes as she took a sip of her drink. She looked up and sighed in relief when she saw Amanda approach. She stopped next to her and gave her a look of sympathy.

“Hey, Padmé,” she greeted.

“Hi,” Padmé replied. She looked around the room and said, “My God, I think my uncle is doing this on purpose.”

“What’s that?” Amanda asked.

Padmé waved her hands out and replied, “Forcing me to attend these stuffy events with him.”

“Even if it’s your birthday?” Amanda asked.

Padmé rolled her eyes. “Does this really look like a party I’d want to attend?” She looked at Amanda, who was covering her mouth as she laughed. “It’s not funny,” she groaned.

Amanda collected herself and said, “Well Padmé, I’m incredibly sorry, but I have to leave now.”

Padmé sighed. “Go ahead. Leave me to suffer.”

Amanda gave her a sympathetic look and said, “Well, bye.”

Padmé waved as Amanda left. She looked around and saw Rush. He walked towards her, and she immediately downed the rest of her drink.

“Padmé,” Rush drawled in his usual manner. “Are you not enjoying yourself?”

Padmé gave him a look and said, “Rush, how many times must I tell you that I do not want to be with you?”

Rush chuckled, which only fueled Padmé’s frustration. “That’s just denial, Padmé. In time, you will see the error of your thoughts and-”

“When Hell freezes over,” Padmé interrupted. She set her glass down and said, “I think I’ve had enough of this party. I’m going to bed.” Before he could say anything else, Padmé left the room and headed upstairs.

…

It was quarter ‘til ten and Anakin was walking alongside the grand houses of Upper Coruscant. As he walked, he held his walkie-talkie in hand.

“Is everything in place?” he asked.

 _“They are,”_ Madsen replied. _“We’re ready to start when you arrive.”_

Anakin nodded. “Perfect. See you in a bit.” He clipped the radio to his belt and looked up at the house he had arrived at: Councilman Palpatine’s.

Popping his neck, Anakin shimmied up the fence and dropped down on the other side. He crouched and slowly made his way up the lawn, stopping when he was below one of the lit windows. Looking around, Anakin spotted a few small pebbles and picked them up.

…

Padmé was sitting on her bed with a book in her hands. She was unsure how long she’d been reading, knowing it was long enough for the party to end. She sighed as she turned another page.

_tick_

Padmé looked up at the sudden sound. She looked around her room, trying to find what had made the sound, but nothing was out of place. She shrugged and returned to her book.

_tick_

Padmé looked up again. “What is that?” she asked herself. She looked to her window, just in time to see a small pebble bounce against it. Squinting, she set her book down and walked to the window. She looked down; her eyes widened and her heart fluttered.

Standing in the dark below was Anakin. His eyes locked onto hers and he smiled.

Padmé couldn’t open the window fast enough.

 _“Anakin!”_ she exclaimed quietly. _“W-What are you doing here?!”_

Anakin smirked. _“Gee, not even a ‘God above, I’ve missed you’?”_ He chuckled a little and said, _“Come on, I have something for you.”_

Padmé nodded and said, “I’ll be right down.” She walked away from the window and two minutes later, the light turned off and she appeared dressed in her casual clothes. She slowly climbed out of the window and shut it.

 _“Padm_ _é, be careful,”_ Anakin said laced with concern.

Padmé was sliding down the column and replied, _“I can handle myself.”_ Suddenly, she lost her grip and fell, but Anakin was right there to catch her. He gave her a knowing smirk.

 _“Can you?”_ he asked.

Padmé playfully slapped his chest and said, _“Oh, stop talking.”_ Anakin set her down and they joined for a kiss. Padmé sighed in relief and happiness; it had been so long.

Anakin pulled away and said, “Now come on.” He led her away from the house and down the driveway. They snuck out the gate and walked up the sidewalk.

“So, what exactly is it?” Padmé asked now that they were gone from her uncle’s.

Anakin shook his head. “I’m not telling.”

Padmé groaned. “Well, whatever it is, it’s probably better than my birthday party earlier. My dear uncle invited his friends, and that was it.”

“Sounds like fun,” Anakin said sarcastically.

Padmé shook her head as Anakin led her towards the country club. She looked at him suspiciously as they walked through the strangely unlocked gate.

“Now you and your friends wouldn’t have had anything to do with the little ‘incident’ a few days ago, right?” she asked.

Anakin paused and replied, “Uhh…I plead the Fifth.”

Padmé laughed and followed Anakin up the drive towards the club. They made it to the entrance and Anakin opened the door.

“Okay, are you going to tell me what’s going on?” Padmé asked.

Anakin looked at her and said, “Hold on. All will be revealed.” They walked into the club and made their way through the darkened halls. “Now where is it?” he asked himself. “My memory of this place isn’t exactly the greatest.”

Padmé followed Anakin through the dark until they reached another door. He opened it and felt around the wall.

“Ah, here it is,” he said. The lights came on and Padmé adjusted to the sudden brightness.

“SURPRISE!”

Padmé jumped and looked ahead of her. They were in the ballroom, and standing before her were all of the ex-caddies and several other people that she recognized from Lower Coruscant. She saw Gregg and the “Men of the Blues” on the stage. She covered her mouth and felt tears of joy well in her eyes.

“Do you like it?” Anakin asked nervously. “I-I’m sorry if you aren’t a fan of surprises, I just wanted to-”

Anakin was interrupted by Padmé pulling him down and kissing him. He wrapped his arms around her and the onlookers cheered them on. Pulling away, Padmé placed her hand on Anakin’s cheek.

“I love it,” she said.

Anakin smiled and gestured his hand out. “Well, enjoy your party.”

Padmé laughed as she and Anakin headed towards the group of people. Anakin pointed to Gregg and he nodded. The band immediately started playing and the group all cheered. Quinlan made his way through the people.

“Padmé!” he yelled. He presented a can of beer and tossed it to her. She promptly caught it and took the screwdriver he handed her. Anakin took another from Quinlan and he brought out his key.

“Happy Birthday, Padmé!” Quinlan yelled.

The three simultaneously pierced their cans and popped the tabs. They brought the beers to their mouths and downed them, the crowd cheering them on.

Quinlan finished his beer first and threw the empty can across the room. “Now let’s party!”

…

The party went on into the night. What started as simple general loudness grew into partygoers swinging from chandeliers and on tables, to someone setting off a firecracker in the room, to Madsen driving his motorcycle through the ballroom. All in all, it was complete chaos all around.

Anakin walked back into the room and looked all over for Padmé. He made his way through the crowd of people, chuckling when he saw Ahsoka and Barriss dancing together. He made it to the bar, where he filled his cup for the umpteenth time that night. Benson walked up to him and smiled.

“Anakin, this is possibly the greatest party ever!” he said loudly over the playing of Gregg’s band.

Smiling, Anakin replied, “Have you seen Padmé?”

Benson stopped drinking and laughed. “Oh, I saw her alright. Quinlan asked her if she’d like to partake in some ‘party favors’.”

Anakin’s eyes widened. “Oh dear God,” he said. Suddenly, she felt something collide into him and a pair of arms wrap around his body.

“Anakin!”

Anakin turned and he found Padmé wrapped around him. Her eyes were a little hazy, and she was looking at him with dream-like expression. Her lips were turned in a massive smile and she was giggling like a madwoman.

And to top it off, the smell of marijuana hit Anakin like a train.

Anakin coughed a little. “Jesus, Padmé,” he said. “What in the Hell did Quinlan give you?”

Padmé giggled again. “I can’t seem to recall. One minute, I’m talking with Ahsoka and Barriss, the next, Quinlan tells me he has a birthday present for me. Something called ‘Lightspeed’.”

Anakin couldn’t help but laugh at Padmé’s behavior. “Padmé, excuse my language, but you’re high as shit.”

“Whaaat?” she asked. “No I’m not.” She giggled again and said almost dreamily, “There’s so much beauty in the world.”

Anakin rolled his eyes. He glanced over at the large clock and saw that it was close to two in the morning.

“Holy Hell,” Anakin said in surprise. He looked back to Padmé and said, “I should probably get you back home.”

“Why?” Padmé asked. “I’m having so much fun!”

Anakin sighed. “I know, but I don’t want your uncle to get upset with-”

“Oh, forget him!” Padmé exclaimed with another lopsided grin. “It’s my birthday, isn’t it? So _you_ have to do whatever _I_ say!”

Anakin sighed. “Technically, your birthday ended about an hour and forty-seven minutes ago.”

“Well that’s just your opinion,” Padmé said. She grabbed Anakin’s hand and led him out of the ballroom. She giggled as she walked through across the club’s complex, Anakin having to stand right by her and keep her upright.

“Ooh, the pool!” Padmé suddenly said loudly. She staggered towards the pool area and walked in, Anakin in tow. She giggled more and said, “Come on, Anakin! Let’s go swimming!”

“You and I both don’t have swimwear,” Anakin said.

“Oh? And is that going to stop us?” Padmé asked.

Anakin’s eyes widened when he looked and saw Padmé beginning to strip out of her clothes. She looked over her shoulder and gave him a sly wink as she tossed her bra right at his face. He shook his head to get it out of his face as Padmé jumped in. She surfaced and laughed even more.

“Come on, Ani!” she said. “The water feels so good!”

Anakin shook his head. “Sorry, Padmé, but it’s not happening.”

Padmé swam to the edge and pouted. “Aw, please?”

Anakin walked and crouched next to the edge. “I’ll just stay here and watch.”

Padmé let her eyes wander. “Okay.” She looked back up to Anakin and smiled as she raised herself and placed her lips on his. Anakin’s eyes closed as he kissed her, not noticing Padmé’s hand grip the collar of his shirt.

Anakin’s eyes flashed open as he was suddenly pulled into the pool. He fell into the water, remaining submerged for a moment before resurfacing. He sputtered and whipped his hair out of his face, looking on at Padmé laughing.

“Oh, funny one, aren’t you?” he asked. He smiled as he sent a massive wave of water at her. Padmé laughed and sent one back at him.

They swam and splashed at each other in the pool for nearly ten minutes, the water and their laughs, as well as the muffled music inside, broke the silence of the July night.

After sending one last wave at Padmé, Anakin slowly swam towards the shallow end with her in tow. They climbed out of the water and Anakin headed to the small shed nearby, grabbing some towels from inside. He laid them out and lied down, Padmé snuggling next to him.

“Tonight was amazing, Anakin,” she said as he wrapped her arms around her.

“Any night spent with you is amazing,” Anakin said. He gently kissed her once more, which Padmé was all too happy to allow. He smirked as Padmé rolled onto her back, Anakin following suit and placing himself over her.

“I love you, Anakin,” she said quietly.

“I love you, Padmé,” he replied. “Happy Birthday.”

Padmé closed her eyes as hers and Anakin’s lips met. She sighed as she felt his hands roam across her body, wrapping her arms around his back to bring him closer.

As the Lower C crowd continued to party in the ballroom, Anakin’s and Padmé’s laughter echoed through the night.


	15. The Bet

Anakin wasn’t sure how long both he and Padmé had dozed off for, but he does remember waking up to the sun glaring down in his face. He groaned as he attempted to sit up, stopping when something held onto him. He looked down and saw Padmé still had her arms around him.

Anakin chuckled as he unclasped Padmé’s hands from him. She stirred awake and groaned, lifting herself. “Oh God, what happened?”

“You made a mistake and listened to Quinlan,” Anakin said.

Padmé’s eyes widened. “Oh God!” she groaned. “Did I do anything stupid?”

Anakin chuckled. “No. Honestly, you were pretty fine.”

Padmé sighed in relief as she sat up. She blushed and squealed when she noticed that she was naked. Anakin laughed as he gathered her clothes and gave them to her, which she gratefully accepted. She quickly put her clothes back on and they left the pool.

“Thank you so much again for the surprise party,” Padmé said with a smile.

Anakin smirked. “You’re welcome.” He popped his neck and yawned. “Man, last night was wild,” he said. He glanced up at the clubhouse and added, “I’d better get you back home or your uncle’s gonna be-”

Anakin was interrupted by a door flying open. He looked up and his eyes widened when he saw Palpatine exit the clubhouse, Rush in tow. Palpatine’s eyes bulged and his face reddened.

“SKYWALKER!” he bellowed.

 _“Aw shit,”_ Anakin said to himself.

Palpatine stormed out of the club towards Anakin and Padmé, his finger outstretched and his mouth trying to form words. Before he could reach Anakin, Padmé stepped forward.

“Uncle, no!” she said sternly.

“Out of the way, Padmé!” Palpatine spat.

“No!” Padmé replied. “I’m sick of this!”

Palpatine was shaking with anger. “He is a deviant! He and all of his destructive friends!”

“I don’t care what you think!” Padmé yelled back.

Palpatine pointed to Anakin and spat, “You are going to pay for this! I am calling the police right now and having you arrested for trespass and destruction of property!”

Anakin was about to respond when a car suddenly pulled into the club. It parked and the door opened, Obi-Wan stepping out. He looked between the two parties and held his hands out.

“Whoa, whoa,” he said. “Let’s all calm ourselves, I could hear you on the drive up here.”

Palpatine looked at Obi-Wan and said, “Obi-Wan, this thug, and his friends broke into the ballroom and ransacked the place.”

Obi-Wan looked to Anakin. “Is this true?”

Anakin was silent for a moment before saying, “Yes.”

“Whatever for?” Obi-Wan asked.

“Surprise party for Padmé,” Anakin replied.

“Oh,” Obi-Wan said. “Well, that was nice of you.”

“I do not care about how ‘nice’ it was, I am having him arrested!” Palpatine said angrily.

Obi-Wan held his hands out once again. “Sheev, calm yourself. Here, let’s go inside to your office and discuss things.”

Palpatine turned on his heel and led the group back in. Anakin looked at the ballroom and his eyes widened. Chairs and tables were overturned, beer cans and cups littered the floor, the stench of tobacco and “other” smoke was heavy in the air, and Anakin was fairly certain he saw a raccoon scurry across the floor.

The group made it to Palpatine’s office; Palpatine sat at his desk with Rush at his side while Anakin and Padmé sat together on the nearby couch. Obi-Wan stood between them.

“Now yes, Sheev, Anakin and his friends breaking in is a serious incident,” Obi-Wan said. “However, there was no malicious intent behind it. Anakin simply wished to throw a nice party for Padmé. I feel that he and his friends will agree to clean up the mess and-”

“Not good enough!” Palpatine interrupted. “He has been a thorn in my side for _too_ long! His behavior is atrocious, the company he keeps even more so! And worse of all is his influence over my niece!”

Padmé stood up sharply. “Nobody has ‘influence’ over me, uncle!”

“He’s using you, Padmé,” Rush said. “Look at him, he’s-”

“More of a man than you’ll ever be, Rush!” Padmé snapped back. Anakin snickered quietly.

Palpatine rolled his eyes. “Padmé, how many times must I remind you? He has no place being with you.”

“I don’t care,” Padmé said. “I love Anakin, and there’s nothing you can do or say that will ever change that.”

Palpatine sneered. “Oh really? Well then, perhaps you both can share a jail cell.”

Anakin’s eyes widened and he quickly stood. “You’d do that to your own niece?”

“Why not?” Palpatine asked. “If it’s clear she’ll be hanging around delinquents like you, then I don’t see any reason why I shouldn’t.”

“And why are they delinquents?!” Padmé loudly asked. “Because they don’t earn a high salary? Don’t wear tailor-made clothes? Live in large houses? Drive the nicest cars?”

Padmé paused as she continued. “I’ve seen the other side of the tracks; I’ve seen where Anakin comes from. There, people judge you by what you’ve done, whether it’s helping an old lady carry her groceries or helping a friend move a couch up six flights of stairs. They don’t care about money, or lavish homes, or any of that.”

Padmé looked at Anakin. “I fell in love with Anakin because he’s a loving, caring person. He could care less about where I live or who my family is because even if I were dirt poor, he’d still love me the same.”

Palpatine’s expression remained unchanged. “Admirable words, Padmé. I do recall you getting an ‘A’ in your speech and debate class, but they do not matter.” He reached for the phone.

“I’m not going to let you do that, Palpatine,” Anakin said stepping forward.

Palpatine smirked. “Oh? And what are you going to do about it?”

“You say I don’t belong in ‘your field’, then I’ll prove it,” Anakin said.

“How so?” Palpatine asked.

Anakin stopped for a moment and said, “Tomorrow, you and me, eighteen holes. If I win, you rehire all of the caddies and Quinlan, and you get out of Padmé’s business.”

Palpatine sneered again. “Gambling is against the rules here at Coruscant Country Club.”

Anakin nodded. “If you win, I’ll take the blame for _everything_.”

Padmé’s eyes widened. “Anakin, no!”

Anakin sighed. “And I will stay away from your niece.”

Palpatine’s eyes widened briefly. He put his hands together and smiled. “Yes,” he said quietly. He stood up and wickedly smirked. “Yes, that sounds fantastic.”

Padmé looked at Anakin with a hint of fear in her eyes. “Anakin, you don’t have to do this.”

“The man has made his choice, Padmé,” Palpatine said. “After all, you just droned on about how much of a caring and noble person he is, so he will keep his word, correct?”

Anakin nodded. “Absolutely.”

Obi-Wan stepped forward. “I’ll give you some last-minute pointers, Anakin.”

Palpatine chuckled a little. “You too, Obi-Wan?” He sighed and said, “I guess that Qui-Gon’s ‘free-spirit’ attitude grew on you.”

“Qui-Gon didn’t really like you,” Obi-Wan said.

Nodding, Palpatine said, “I’m well aware, but you know that Christopher wouldn’t have accepted this. You’ve talked with him plenty of times to know that.”

Obi-Wan nodded. “Indeed Christopher and I both talked a lot. The thing is Palpatine, he didn’t like you either.”

Palpatine’s face downturned and he pointed to the door. “Out of my office.”

Anakin, Padmé, and Obi-Wan walked towards the door. Anakin had just opened it when Palpatine yelled, “I expect you here tomorrow, boy! Ten o’clock!”

“I’ll be here,” Anakin said back. They walked out of the office and headed outside. Anakin headed to the maintenance shed and retrieved his clubs.

“I appreciate the offer Obi-Wan, but I’ll be alright,” Anakin said as he hefted his bag and the three walked to Obi-Wan’s car.

“Are you sure?” Obi-Wan asked.

“Yeah,” Anakin said. “I’ll just be practicing what I need to tonight.”

Obi-Wan nodded. “Very well. Here, I’ll drop you off at your place.”

Anakin nodded in thanks as he headed to Obi-Wan’s car, Padmé following them in. Obi-Wan started up the car and he drove them out of the lot and away from the club.

* * *

Anakin, Padmé, and Ahsoka were sitting in the small living room of the apartment. Anakin had several cups in place and he was practicing his putting. He made some, but he was also struggling a little; it had been a bit since he properly golfed.

“Anakin, are you sure you know what you’re doing?” Padmé asked.

“Of course I do,” Anakin replied as he putted, missing the cup by inches. “Don’t worry, Padmé. Everything’s going to be fine.”

“And what if it isn’t?” Padmé asked. “If you lose, my uncle isn’t kidding about putting you in jail. And with his connections, he’ll see to it that you’re there for a while.”

Anakin smirked. “Who in the Hell voted for this guy?”

“Ani, please, this is serious,” Padmé said. She got up and wrapped her arms around him. “I don’t want to lose you.”

Anakin dropped his sarcasm and sighed. He hugged Padmé and said, “Don’t worry. Even if the worst scenario comes true, I’ll never stop loving you.”

“I don’t want to be with anyone else,” Padmé said. “Only you.”

Anakin chuckled as he kissed her cheek and embraced her again. The two pulled away when they heard an exaggerated yawn.

“Jeez, I didn’t know I was watching a romance flick at the movies,” Ahsoka said with a smile.

Anakin rolled his eyes. “Well, I’m heading out. I’ve gotta practice my irons.”

“I’ll go with you,” Padmé said.

“No need,” Anakin said. “You and Ahsoka can have some quality time. I’ll probably just get some of the guys.”

Padmé and Ahsoka waved Anakin goodbye as he left the room. He headed out of the apartment building and placed his clubs in the back of his truck. He climbed in and started it up, making his way through Lower C.

…

“Pull!”

Anakin swung and hit the golf ball with his five iron.

Quinlan was standing nearby with a shotgun and fired. The pellets nailed the ball dead-on and fragmented it. Anakin, Madsen, Benson, and Quinlan cheered as they reached down and grabbed their beers.

Anakin took a sip and said, “Thanks for joining me for my practice, boys.”

Madsen finished his beer and replied, “Well, when you said beer and shooting at your golf shots, how could I refuse?”

Quinlan handed the shotgun to Benson. He readied it and asked, “So you made a bet with Palpatine to get our jobs back?”

“Pull!” Anakin swung and Benson fired, hitting the ball in the air. “Yeah, or I’ll be walking myself into a jail sentence.”

Benson nodded as he handed the shotgun to Madsen. “Normally trespass and destruction of property would net you some nasty fines and maybe a year at most in jail. But with Palpatine, Hell he’ll make them think you committed felony murder.”

Anakin nodded as he readied his next swing. His thoughts drifted all over; all of this simply began with giving Padmé some lessons at night. He had no idea it’d grow into this, where he’d be making a deal with someone that could land him in deep shit.

But for Padmé, as well as his friends, it was worth it.

“Pull!” Anakin swung again and hit the ball high. Madsen followed the ball and fired; the ball pieces fell to the ground.

Quinlan clapped a few times and said, “Well Anakin, no matter what happens tomorrow, we’ll be there to support you.”

Anakin nodded. “Thanks, Quinlan.”

Quinlan smirked. “Now to finish off this night…” He trailed off as he retrieved his Altoids tin.

“I’m down,” Anakin said as he put his club up.

“Man, you’re easy!” Quinlan exclaimed.

The four young men all laughed as they retrieved their joints from the tin and Quinlan ignited his lighter.

_11:27 P.M._


	16. Front Nine

_9:52 A.M._

A small crowd had gathered near the first tee box of the golf course. On one side stood Palpatine, along with Rush and a handful of their friends and others. On the other side was Padmé, Ahsoka, Obi-Wan, as well as several employees and the ex-caddies.

The only one missing was Anakin.

“Where is he?” Padmé asked in concern.

Ahsoka shrugged. “I don’t know. He told us that he’d be practicing with Quinlan and a few others.”

Padmé sighed. “I hope they didn’t do anything stupid.”

“He wouldn’t blow this off, Padmé,” Ahsoka said.

They stood quietly a little longer and across from them, Palpatine and his group all laughed.

“It looks like your grand champion is a no-show!” he gloated to the other group. He and Rush laughed as the employees and others all glared at them.

Palpatine collected himself and said to Rush, “He probably skipped town. This proves my point about people like him.”

Rush smirked and said, “Since he probably left the state, maybe we can send US Marshals after him.”

Palpatine’s group collectively laughed, some of them doubling over from it. To the other group, it was a sickening sight. Padmé checked her watch again; it read 9:57.

“Come on, Anakin,” she said.

Palpatine’s group continued laughing but were interrupted by the sounds of tires screeching. They stood tall and could hear a loud engine revving. Suddenly, a Ford F-350 flew through the parking lot, driving towards the tee box. The gathered spectators cringed as the truck tires screeched and the vehicle stopped right in the middle of the grass.

The driver side door opened and Anakin walked out, eyes a little tired but awake and ready. However, the passenger door opened and several beer cans spilled out, followed by Quinlan. Out from the back of the bed, Benson and Madsen climbed out, but they too fell to the ground.

The ex-caddies cheered loudly as Anakin and his inebriated friends walked towards them. Anakin smiled as they all gave him encouraging pats on the back. He made his way to the front, where Obi-Wan shook his hand, Ahsoka gave him a near-crushing hug, and Padmé pulled him in for a kiss.

Anakin pulled away and looked at Palpatine. He had his usual grumpy sneer on his face and he crossed his arms in annoyance. Anakin walked ahead and stood before him as Eric approached and stood in front of the two.

“Alright, let’s get this over with. My cousin’s getting married at four,” he said. He held out a closed fist and said, “I have a set number of tees in my hand. Councilman, odd or even?”

“Even,” Palpatine answered.

Eric opened his hand, revealing four tees. “Even it is. You have honors, sir.”

Palpatine smirked as he retrieved his driver from his bag and teed up. He took his stance, placing the clubface next to the ball. He pulled his arms back and swung, striking the ball and sending it down the fairway. It came back down and rolled along the grass, stopping about fifteen yards short of the green.

Palpatine’s group slowly clapped as he collected his tee. Anakin strolled over and teed up his ball. He took his stance and took a deep breath. He swung, striking the ball with great force and sending it downrange. It too came back down, stopping about seven yards short.

Anakin’s group cheered loudly behind him. He smiled and stared right at Palpatine, who in turn gave him (another) dirty glare. The large crowd followed the two golfers as they made their way to their shots. Anakin walked beside Palpatine.

“This all could have been avoided if you had simply done what I asked,” Palpatine said. “Ah, but what’s done is done.”

“Less talk more golf, old man,” Anakin replied.

Palpatine reached his ball and grabbed his wedge. He stood next to his ball and slowly swung. His ball lifted into the air, dropping onto the green and rolling towards the hole, stopping about five feet short of it.

Anakin walked to his ball and retrieved his wedge. He readied his shot and swung, but he accidentally bladed it, skidding his ball across the green. He sighed and put his club up, electing to grab his putter instead.

Behind him, he could hear Rush and all of his friends chuckle under their breath. Anakin stood next to his ball and aligned his putter; he putted, the ball slowing considerably through the taller grass before it rolled onto the green. The ball stopped six feet from the hole.

Anakin walked to his ball again and lined up his shot. He tapped the ball, sending it towards the hole. It looked like it was about to go in, but it lipped out, stopping mere inches from the hole.

Anakin let out a growl as he walked to his ball and tapped it in. He fished his ball out of the hole as Palpatine lined up his putt. He stroked, rolling the ball right into the hole for a Birdie.

Rush and the others clapped as Palpatine reached down and grabbed it. He chuckled and said to Anakin, “That’s plus one for you, boy.”

Anakin glared at him. “First hole, Councilman. Seventeen more to go.”

…

Eight holes later and Anakin was playing the worst game he’d ever played. Each hole he’d have one shot that he would choke on, throwing him off until he’d reach the green. Palpatine on the other hand was doing just fine; he’d have a few bad shots, but at this moment, he was smoking Anakin.

It was getting to him; from his poor playing, Palpatine’s smug expression, and Rush’s taunts, Anakin was feeling his temper start to boil. He’d come dangerously close to throwing his clubs a handful of times. Padmé and all the others were still there to encourage him, but Anakin felt as if it didn’t matter.

They Anakin teed up his ball on the tee box and readied himself. He pulled his arms back and swung; his ball sliced and sailed right towards the thicker grass near the edge of the woods. He restrained himself from throwing the driver, electing to instead angrily toss his club in the bag.

“If you want to give up after this hole, you can save face, Skywalker,” Palpatine said with a laugh. He walked over and teed his ball up. He swung, hitting his ball down the middle.

Anakin huffed as he grabbed his bag and walked to where his shot had gone. Behind him, Rush and his friends decided to follow.

“I don’t see how you can pull this off, my friend,” Rush said. Anakin tried ignoring him, but his taunts were starting to get under his skin.

“Although, I must applaud your diligence. You keep going even when it’s completely hopeless,” Rush said.

Anakin set down his bag and grabbed his five iron. As he took his stance, Rush kept talking.

“Padmé may be willing to be with someone like you now, but when she sees what future _you’ll_ have, then she’ll come running back to me.”

Anakin swung, chunking his shot and sending his ball only fifteen yards. Rush and his friends laughed once more as they walked away. Anakin growled as he walked to his ball and hit again; finally, he managed to get a good shot and stuck the ball five yards off the green.

 _“Come on, Anakin,”_ he said in his head. _“Get it together. All those guys are counting on you._ _Padm_ _é’s counting on you.”_

Anakin reached his ball and grabbed his wedge. He readied his shot and swung; his club hit the dirt and then his ball, sending it only to the bare edge of the green. He sighed as he grabbed his putter and putted, not even bothering with lining it up. It stopped a foot short and he tapped in for Bogey.

Anakin sighed as he walked off the green. Palpatine sank his putt for Par and the group headed towards the small pavilion that served as a rest area between the front and back nine. Palpatine and his group sat at one of the tables while Anakin sat alone and examined his scorecard.

After nine holes, Anakin was eight-over, while Palpatine was two-under. Based on how he was doing, Palpatine could Par out while Anakin could Birdie every hole on the back nine and still be behind by one stroke.

Anakin looked up as several of the ex-caddies sat next to him. “Hey man, what’s going on out there?” Hendricks asked. “You’re normally tearing this place up.”

Anakin shrugged. “I-I don’t know.” He sighed and said, “Between Palpatine’s taunts, Rush getting into my head, there isn’t much left for me to think about my shots.”

The caddies all groaned. “Come on, Anakin. You can do it. All of us are rooting for you.”

Anakin nodded as the caddies departed. He had lowered his head when someone else joined him. He looked up and saw Padmé sitting in front of him.

“Anakin?” she asked.

Anakin sighed. “I’m sorry, Padmé.” He shook his head and added, “It’s my fault.”

“Don’t give up, Anakin,” Padmé begged him.

“Why not?” Anakin asked. “I’m too far behind. It’ll take a miracle to beat him.” He rubbed his eyes and said, “I let all those guys down. They were counting on me; _you_ were counting on me.”

“I still am,” Padmé said. “All of them are. Anakin, none of us have given up on you. We’re still here, right? And no matter what, those guys will always be there by your side.”

Padmé clasped her hands in Anakin’s. “And no matter what, I will always love you.”

Anakin looked into Padmé’s eyes, seeing the sincerity behind them. He nodded as he got up from the table and grabbed his bag. The group made their way to the Hole 10 tee box; Palpatine set up his ball first.

Palpatine pulled his arms and swung, hitting his ball downrange and down the middle. His group clapped lightly as he turned around and faced Anakin.

“Top that,” he said with a smirk.

Anakin grabbed his driver and teed up his ball. He slowly lowered his driver and looked out to where he was hitting to.

“They believe in you, so believe in yourself, Anakin,” he thought to himself. Anakin pulled his arms back and swung.

_SMACK_

Anakin’s driver connected perfectly with the ball. It sailed through the air, climbing higher before coming back down. The ball hit the fairway and kept hopping along, rolling and stopping about fifty yards ahead of Palpatine’s.

Anakin’s group cheered loudly as he pumped his fist. He turned around and saw Palpatine’s glare returned.

“I’d wipe that smirk off your face,” Anakin said. “The way I see it, I’m just getting started.


	17. Back Nine and Good Times

Anakin and Palpatine walked towards their shots, their large groups following close behind. Palpatine reached his ball and retrieved his club. He took his stance and aimed for the hole; he swung, sending his ball skyward. It came back down and landed about ten feet from the hole.

Anakin ignored Palpatine’s smug expression as he walked to his ball. He grabbed his wedge and angled the head back. He swung, his ball flying along the same trajectory as Palpatine’s. However, when his ball came back down, it landed within a _foot_ of the hole.

Anakin’s friends all loudly cheered once more as Anakin grabbed his putter and walked to the hole. He stood next to his ball, staring Palpatine dead in the eye as he tapped in his ball for Birdie.

Palpatine scowled as he approached his ball and lined up his putt. He stroked, but he hit with too much force, sending the ball nearly five feet passed. He growled as the ex-caddies all stifled their laughter behind him. Palpatine putted once more, but his ball proceeded to lip out of the cup.

The ex-caddies couldn’t contain themselves as the burst with laughter. Palpatine angrily tapped his ball in for Bogey, his lead shortened by eight strokes.

With rejuvenated determination, Anakin continued to the next tee box. As his crowd chanted his name, he confidently aimed and swung, sending his ball down the fairway and landing it about halfway down the length of the hole.

As Palpatine’s group gave him more controlled cheers, he teed up and swung. His ball didn’t go nearly as far as Anakin’s, and his group gave a collective exaggerated groan as Palpatine grabbed his bag and they set off once more.

Anakin made it to his ball and he observed his lie. Based on where he was, Anakin was about one-hundred yards away from the green. At this distance, he decided to pull out his wedge once more. He pulled his arms back and hit his ball high into the air. It came back down and landed on the green, slowly rolling until by a stroke of luck it went in the hole.

Anakin’s yells of celebration echoed all over, as well as the yells from his friends and Padmé. He looked to Palpatine and mockingly yelled, “Hey, is it in?! I can’t tell from here! Is it in?!”

Palpatine growled as he threw his club to the ground.

…

Anakin’s momentum carried him through the rest of the holes. By the time they all reached the Par 5 eighteenth hole, Anakin had shortened the score difference and he and Palpatine were now tied. All Anakin had to do was score one stroke lower than Palpatine to win.

Anakin was basking in the cheers of the ex-caddies. “Helluva comeback, man,” Benson said.

“Finish strong,” Madsen said. “Kick his ass.”

Anakin nodded. “Don’t worry guys,” he said as Palpatine hit his shot. He looked around the group and asked, “Where are Quinlan and Myers?”

The group looked around and Chris answered, “I think they snuck off. To do what, I have no clue.”

Anakin rolled his eyes. “Well, whatever it is, it can’t be good.”

…

Quinlan and Myers were walking through the wooded area next to the eighteenth green. Quinlan brought Myers along to show him something “epic”.

“So what are we doing here?” Myers asked.

Quinlan smirked. “Oh, you’ll see. What I’m about to show you is badass.”

“It had better be,” Myers said. “I don’t want to miss Anakin beating that miserable bastard, Palpatine.”

Quinlan nodded. “And you won’t, but first…” He trailed off as they reached a large and old-looking tree. Myers noticed a set of planks nailed into the trunk.

“Another one of your ‘outposts’?” he asked.

Quinlan shook his head. “Nah, this was my father’s. I knew he had one, I just didn’t know where it was.” He climbed onto the planks as he made his way up.

“Uh…Quinlan?” Myers asked as he looked at the old and weathered tree. “Are you sure this is structurally sound?”

“I’m about thirty-percent sure this is going to fall,” Quinlan said. “But that means there’s a seventy-percent chance it ­ _isn’t_.”

Myers sighed. “Fuck it.” He grabbed the planks and made his way up.

…

Anakin and Palpatine were now at the green. Anakin had hit his second shot right at the green. However, his ball was at the farthest edge of the green, placing himself about thirty feet from the hole.

It took another two shots for Palpatine to make it to the green, and he was now lined up for Birdie. He walked to his ball and lined up his shot; he slowly pulled his arms back and stroked. His ball rolled towards the hole, slowing down a little but sinking right in.

Palpatine laughed and cheered with Rush and all of his friends. He placed his putter back and stared Anakin down. Anakin now had to make his incredibly long putt to win. Slowly, he removed his putter and lined up his shot.

…

Quinlan and Myers were sitting in the old blind, beers in hand as they observed Palpatine make his putt. They groaned and slammed their hands down.

“Dammit,” Quinlan groaned.

“Come on, Anakin,” Myers said. He tilted his head back to drink, his eyes widening when he heard a creak. “Uh, Quinlan?”

“Yeah?” Quinlan asked,

“Did you hear that?” Myers asked.

Quinlan looked over and shook his head. “Nah, man. Like I said, this tree has stood tall since my father’s time it’s perfectly…”

…

Anakin slowly pulled his arms back to putt when he heard a loud creaking noise. He looked up and his eyes widened when he saw a large tree falling right onto the green. He jumped out of the way as the trunk fell onto the green. Anakin looked and his eyes widened again.

The tree was blocking his shot.

“What the f-” Anakin said as he heard some rustling from inside the tree. He sighed when he saw Quinlan and Myers climb out.

“See, I told you,” Myers said. “I told you this tree wasn’t safe.”

Anakin sighed again. “Dammit, guys.”

“Shit,” Quinlan groaned. “Anakin, I’m so sorry.”

Obi-Wan walked over and said, “Don’t worry, Anakin. We’ll get this cleared up and you can finish tomorrow.”

“Oh no,” Palpatine said as he walked around the tree. “He finishes this now.” He pointed to the tree and said, “Maybe you ex-caddies can help clean this up as your last job.”

Anakin looked at his ball, then the tree, and then the hole. He looked back to Palpatine and said, “Palpatine. All or nothing on this shot.”

Palpatine’s eyes widened and he smiled. Rush and the others all laughed behind him. “Very well, Skywalker. Good luck.”

Anakin nodded as he observed his shot. He walked back to his bag, where Padmé was waiting.

“Anakin, what are you thinking?” she asked.

“Like he said, this ends now,” Anakin said.

Padmé looked at Anakin in confusion. “What are you planning?”

Anakin placed his putter in the bag and grabbed his nine iron. “Just a tip from one of Obi-Wan’s friends.” He walked back to his ball and placed his nine iron on the ground, adjusting his grip and stance. The club was angled back until it was practically flat and his ball was at the back of his stance.

“Lord help me,” Anakin said to himself.

Anakin pulled his arms back halfway and swung. His club cleaved through the green and hit his ball straight into the air. A perfect square patch of grass fluttered into the tree as the ball sailed over it and landed on the other side. It rolled and rolled, not deviating from its path for a moment or decreasing in speed.

Finally, the ball slowed, coming to a stop at the hole’s edge for a brief moment before falling right in.

The cheer that followed was like a bomb going off. The ex-caddies flocked around Anakin, who in turn cheered along with them. Palpatine’s group stood still in silence and shock at what they had just seen.

Anakin was able to break free from the group as he made his way over to Palpatine. He smiled and said, “Alright Councilman, I won. I trust you’ll be a man of your word and honor our agreement.

Palpatine’s face was contorting, trying his hardest not to shout at Anakin. Obi-Wan walked up and said, “You did agree to it, Sheev.”

Growling, Palpatine hissed, “I expect all of you here tomorrow to _clean this up!”_ With that, he turned on his heel and stormed towards the clubhouse.

Anakin laughed and turned to see Padmé running towards him. He lifted her in the air and kissed her, spinning her around slowly in his arms. He lowered her down just as Rush walked up, a look of disgust on his face.

“Do you really think that this changes anything?” Rush asked. “You may have gotten yours and your delinquent friends their jobs back, but that means that-”

“Oh, shut up,” Anakin said with a roll of his eyes. In a flash, he punched Rush across the face, sending him to the ground and rolling into the nearby sand bunker. His friends approached, but the caddies quickly joined in.

“Rethink that move, bud,” Madsen said.

Rush’s cronies looked at the burly caddies with fear in their eyes. Shouting over each other, they ran, quickly grabbing Rush before they took off.

Anakin and the caddies all cheered once more. Quinlan moved to the front and yelled out, “This calls for celebration! To the pool!”

The group all cheered and they made a mad dash for the pool. Club members jumped when they heard the rambunctious shouts and they turned to see the caddies jumping into the pool and pushing each other in; they quickly vacated.

Anakin and Padmé slowly walked along the side, talking to each other. “Hopefully now you’re uncle will leave me alone.”

Padmé nodded. “I have a feeling he will. Getting beat by a ‘vagrant’ like you surely put a dent in his pride.”

Anakin laughed, but his face slowly fell a little. “Now there’s just you going back to school.”

Padmé smiled. “Oh, about that. I got a letter today. My classes and credits all transferred. I’ll be going to Coruscant College this fall.”

“What?” Anakin asked, surprised. “No, you don’t have to-”

“Anakin,” Padmé interrupted, “quit being so goddamned polite.”

Anakin laughed again as he kissed Padmé. His arms slowly snaked around her as he pulled away. “You’re right. I am too polite.”

Padmé’s eyes widened as Anakin suddenly lifted her and tossed her into the pool. Her screams were cut short when she hit the water. She quickly surfaced and looked onto Anakin, who was laughing above her.

“You’re evil!” she yelled with a large smile.

Anakin was about to respond but was interrupted when he too fell in. He surfaced and looked to the side; Ahsoka was doubled over laughing.

“Watch your back, bro!” she yelled.

Anakin had no time to reply as he felt a wave of water hit him. He engaged Padmé in a fierce water fight as the caddies and other employees jumped into the pool.

Anakin said to himself that this summer was going to be interesting.

And he was damn right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was fun! Thank you for reading and all of your Kudos and kind comments. Next story to come within the week. Until then!


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